14.1 Oscillatory Motion
Oscillatory motion is a to and fro motion about its mean position and it is a periodic motion which repeats itself after an equal interval of time.
We come across many examples of oscillatory motion in our daily life. Some examples of oscillatory motion are given below:
(i) A simple pendulum vibrating about its mean position when displaced from its rest position.
(ii) A mass oscillating at the end of a spring in a horizontal or vertical plane when pulled and released.
(iii) A vibrating tuning fork.
(iv) The atoms or molecules in a solid substances oscillate about their mean position.
(v) Motion of a swing.
(vi) Air molecules oscillate when sound waves travel through air.
(vii) Most of musical instruments like guitar and violin have strings attached to them to produce music by vibratory motion.
(viii) The wings of birds during flying.
All the bodies that undergo vibrational or oscillation motion have an equilibrium position or mean position. When the body is displaced from this mean position then there is restoring force which brings it back to its equilibrium position and it causes vibration or oscillation motion of the body.