Coupled and damped oscillators

Liberation of Integration, Universality and Concord (Part #16)

Whereas the previous section focuses on a succession of models, it is also possible to envisage, for example, the simultaneous presence of 3 oscillating systems A/B, C/D, and E/F. If the oscillations of one affect another then the two are coupled. Such coupling may have amplifying or dampening effects.

A system set into oscillation by some initial displacement will not continue to remain so indefinitely unless energy is supplied from some external source. An oscillation cannot create energy. The oscillation gradually dies away and is said to be damped. The decay will be slow if the mass of the oscillator is large, and slow if the initial frequency is high. An oscillator absorbs energy from a source at maximum average rate at the resonance frequency, namely the frequency at which it prefers to oscillate. At this frequency it loads the energy source to maximum extent.

Dampening effects may be counteracted by coupling with other oscillators as note above.