Equivalent Systems
Harmonic oscillators occurring in a number of areas of engineering are equivalent in the sense that their mathematical models are identical (see universal oscillator equation above). Below is a table showing analogous quantities in four harmonic oscillator systems in mechanics and electronics. If analogous parameters on the same line in the table are given numerically equal values, the behavior of the oscillators—their output waveform, resonant frequency, damping factor, etc.—are the same.
| Translational Mechanical | Torsional Mechanical | Series RLC Circuit | Parallel RLC Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Angle | Charge | Voltage |
| Velocity | Angular velocity | Current | |
| Mass | Moment of inertia | Inductance | Capacitance |
| Spring constant | Torsion constant | Elastance | Susceptance |
| Damping | Rotational friction | Resistance | Conductance |
| Drive force | Drive torque | ||
| Undamped resonant frequency : | |||
| Differential equation: | |||
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Read more about this topic: Harmonic Oscillator
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