1. Physics 8.03 Vibrations and Waves
Lecture 5 Coupled Oscillators

2. Announcements for today
Exam #1 is next Tuesday 02/24/04 in 6-120
Exam review
No review
Saturday 2 to 3:30pm OR
Saturday 7 to 8:30pm OR
Sunday 2 to 3:30pm
Problem Set #3 will be posted tomorrow
Due Friday, February 27, 2004
Coupled oscillators
Problem Set #2
Solutions will be posted tomorrow
Graded pset will NOT be returned before Exam 1

3. Today: Coupled oscillators
What happens when we put two pendulums beside each other?
Nothing special. We get two pendulums.
What happens when we couple them with a spring?
Their motion depends on the initial conditions (i.c.)
So what, we’ve seen that before. The amplitude and phase of the motion depends on the i.c.
Aha, but now the frequency of oscillation depends on i.c.
In fact, in general the motion isn’t even harmonic
Except when i.c. correspond to normal modes of oscillation