ENGR201 Laplace deck example, free vibration of a two-mass systemTutorialOld spec ENGR201First20 min

ENGR201 (old spec) Laplace transforms deck, more examples, free vibration of a spring-mass system (pages 60-63)

Two equal masses m=1m = 1 are connected in a line by three springs of stiffness k=2k = 2 (wall-spring-mass-spring- mass-spring-wall). Their displacements y1y_1 and y2y_2 satisfy md2y1dt2+2ky1−ky2=0,md2y2dt2+2ky2−ky1=0m\frac{d^2y_1}{dt^2} + 2ky_1 - ky_2 = 0, \qquad m\frac{d^2y_2}{dt^2} + 2ky_2 - ky_1 = 0 with initial conditions y1(0)=y2(0)=1y_1(0) = y_2(0) = 1 and y1′(0)=−y2′(0)=6y_1'(0) = -y_2'(0) = \sqrt 6. Use Laplace transforms to find the motion of the two masses.

Formulas you may need
  • L[y′′]=s2Y−sy(0)−y′(0)\mathcal{L}[y''] = s^2Y - sy(0) - y'(0) (learn this)
  • L−1[αs2+α2]=sin⁡αt\mathcal{L}^{-1}\left[\dfrac{\alpha}{s^2 + \alpha^2}\right] = \sin\alpha t, L−1[ss2+α2]=cos⁡αt\mathcal{L}^{-1}\left[\dfrac{s}{s^2 + \alpha^2}\right] = \cos\alpha t (learn this)
  1. (a)
    Transform the equations and write them as two simultaneous equations in Y1(s)Y_1(s) and Y2(s)Y_2(s).
  2. (b)
    Solve for Y1Y_1 and Y2Y_2, expand in partial fractions and invert.