Past exam of the physics A course of the University of Cambridge / 2013 / Paper 2 / Section B / B7 / Solution

Response and resonance. The terms $m\ddot{x}$, $b\dot{x}$ and $kx$ describe inertia, linear viscous resistance and the spring's restoring force; the right side is the applied harmonic force. Substituting the complex trial motion and taking real parts givesThe steady response excludes the decaying homogeneous transient. Its magnitude is $[(k-m{\omega }^2{)}^2+b^2{\omega }^2{]}^{-1/2}$. Differentiating the denominator gives $2\omega [-2m(k-m{\omega }^2)+b^2]=0$, soA nonzero-frequency amplitude maximum exists only for $b^2<2km$; otherwise the maximum is at zero frequency. Increasing damping lowers and broadens the peak and shifts it downward. Every curve starts at $|R(0)|=1/k$ and tends to $1/(m{\omega }^2)$ at high frequency.

Series circuit. The PDF circuit has the resistor, inductor and capacitor in one loop. With current $I=\dot{q}$, Kirchhoff's voltage law gives $V=L\dot{I}+RI+q/C$, henceThus $m,b,k$ correspond to $L,R,1/C$. The resistor's rms voltage isIt is maximized exactly at ${\omega }_{\max }={\omega }_0=1/\sqrt{LC}$ for $R>0$. The charge-amplitude resonance is lower. Expanding its square root for $R^{2}C/L\ll 1$ givesThe two maxima refer to different observables: resistor voltage follows current, whereas charge follows displacement.