ABSTRACT
This chapter talks about the periodic motion of oscillating bodies. Simple harmonic motion (SHM) is said to occur when the motion is under the action of a restoring force which is always directed to a fixed point and has a magnitude which is proportional to the displacement from that point. The chapter also discusses that the only force acting on an object performing oscillations is the restoring force. When damping occurs there is a loss of energy from the oscillating system as work is done against such forces as friction or air resistance. This chapter describes the term free oscillation that is used when an elastic system oscillates under the action of forces inherent in the system itself with there being no externally applied forces. The system will oscillate at, what is termed, a natural frequency, such frequencies being determined by the properties of the system.
