Periodic fluctuations: definition, basic characteristics

Much of physics sometimes remains incomprehensible. And it's not always that the person just read a little on this topic. Sometimes the material is given so that it is impossible to understand it to a person who is not familiar with the basics of physics. One rather interesting section, which people do not always understand from the first time and are able to comprehend, are periodic fluctuations. Before explaining the theory of periodic oscillations, let's talk a little about the history of detecting this phenomenon.

History

The theoretical foundations of periodic oscillations were known even in the ancient world. People saw how the waves move evenly, how the wheels rotate, passing through a certain time interval through the same point. It is from these simple, at first glance, phenomena that the concept of oscillations has become.

The first evidence of the description of the oscillations is not preserved, but it is for certain known that Maxwell theoretically predicted one of the most common of their species (namely, electromagnetic) in 1862. In 20 years his theory was confirmed. Then Heinrich Hertz conducted a series of experiments proving the existence of electromagnetic waves and the presence of certain properties inherent only to them. As it turned out, light is also an electromagnetic wave and obeys all relevant laws. A few years before Hertz, there was a man who demonstrated to a scientific society the generation of electromagnetic waves, but because he was not as strong in theory as Hertz, he could not prove that the success of the experiment was due to fluctuations.

We are a bit away from the topic. In the next section, we will consider the main examples of periodic oscillations that we can meet in everyday life and in nature.

Kinds

These phenomena occur everywhere and constantly. And in addition to the already mentioned waves and rotation of the wheels, we can notice periodic fluctuations in our body: heart contractions, motion of the lungs and so on. If you zoom in and move to larger objects than our bodies, you can see fluctuations in science such as biology.

An example is the periodic fluctuations in the number of populations. What is the meaning of this phenomenon? In any population, there is always an increase, then a decrease. And this is due to different factors. Due to the limited space and many other factors, the population can not grow infinitely, so with the help of natural mechanisms nature has learned to reduce the number. In this case, periodic fluctuations in the number occur. The same thing happens with human society.

Now we will discuss the theory of this concept and analyze some formulas concerning such a concept as periodic oscillations.

Theory

Periodic fluctuations are a very interesting topic. But, like in any other, the further you sink - the more incomprehensible, new and complex. In this article we will not go into depth, only briefly describe the basic properties of oscillations.

The main characteristics of periodic oscillations are the period and frequency of oscillations. The period shows how long it takes for the wave to return to its original position. In fact, this is the time for which the wave passes the distance between its adjacent ridges. There is one more quantity that is closely related to the previous one. This is the frequency. The frequency is inverse to the period and has such a physical meaning: this is the number of crests of waves that have passed through a certain area of space per unit of time. The frequency of periodic oscillations , if presented in mathematical form, has the formula: v = 1 / T, where T is the oscillation period.

Before moving to the conclusion, let's talk a little about where periodic fluctuations are observed and how knowledge about them can be useful in life.

Application

Above we have already considered the types of periodic oscillations. Even if guided by a list of where they meet, it's easy to understand that they surround us everywhere. Electromagnetic waves emit all our electrical appliances. Moreover, communication of the phone with the phone or listening to the radio would have been impossible without them.

Sound waves are also oscillations. Under the influence of electrical voltage, a special membrane in any sound generator starts to vibrate, creating waves of a certain frequency. After the membrane, the air molecules begin to vibrate, which eventually reach our ear and are perceived as a sound.

Conclusion

Physics is a very interesting science. And even if it seems that you seem to know everything in it that can be useful in everyday life, there is still such a thing, in which it will be superfluous to understand better. We hope that this article helped you understand or recall the material on the physics of oscillations. This is indeed a very important topic, the practical application of the theory from which today is found everywhere.