Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematical-methods-ii-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2016-resit/11/c/solution

For , the first eigenvector equation gives . For , it gives . Therefore
The lower mode moves the masses in phase with equal displacements. In the higher mode they move in opposite directions, with the lighter mass's amplitude twice that of the heavier mass. Their eigenvectors satisfy mass-weighted orthogonality with respect to the physical mass matrix , although their ordinary Euclidean dot product is nonzero.
Figure 1.
Normal-mode shapes and an initially displaced light mass on a string with two point masses
. Details.

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