Evaluating the Relationship of the Coupling Length and Rate of Energy Transfer between the Two Coupled Pendulums

Adonis Cabigon1, Alaiza Tangaha2 Department of Physics, University of San Carlos, Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu City 6000 1 adoniscc@yahoo.com 2 mayalaiza92@yahoo.com

Abstract

In this paper, we experimentally proved the linear relation between the rate of energy transfer, and the square of coupling length, l, of the coupled pendulum, =0l2, trough the aid of a Labview program that records the position of the pendulum as a function of time. The experimental values 0= (3.50 0.01) Hz and = (0.47 0.01) m-2 is found to be very much close to the expected values 0 = 3.50 Hz and = 0.45m-2.

1. Introduction

Analyzing coupled oscillator system such as coupled pendulums has made an initial step toward the general situation of oscillations of extended system. Say for example, many masses connected by spring in a lattice constitute a model for atomic vibrations in solids. Taking the continuum limit of multi-mass system makes up the study of waves supported by continuous media [1]. A system of coupled pendulums is one in which the acceleration of the oscillators depends not only on their own position, as in the case of a harmonic oscillator, but also on the positions of the other oscillators in the system. The dependence gives rise to energy transfer between the two oscillators [2]. In studying this system, it is best to play with some coupling parameter that will give rise to the change of its behavior. In our case, we choose the coupling length described below as the parameter to be varied.

2. The Experiment

The experimental set-up shown in Figure 1 is composed of two identical pendulums each a light rod of length L supporting a mass m and coupled by a weightless spring with stiffness k, natural length equal to their separation and coupling distance l from their point of suspension.

Figure 1.Experimental Set-up for the coupled pendulums.

The small oscillations are restricted to the plane of the paper. If 1 and 2 are the respective angular displacements of the two pendulum, then their motion in terms of the torque due to the presence of gravity and spring tension are described by: Id21dt=-mgL1-kl2(1-2) (1) and Id22dt=-mgL2-kl2(2-1) (2) respectively, where I is the pendulums moment of inertia [2]. In our case I=mL2, since the center of mass for each pendulum is concentrated at a single point where mass, m is suspended [3]. Writing the natural frequency of each pendulum 02=mgLI=g/L and adding (1) & (2) we have: and d21dt+02 1=0, d22dt+(02+2kl2mL2)2=0, (3) (4)

when we subtract (2) from (1), where 1=1+2 and 2=1-2. These equations are equations of simple harmonic motion with natural frequencies 0=g/L and 1=02+2kl2mL2 respectively [1, 3]. At time equals zero, three initial conditions of the system are realized successively (refer to Appendix A). For conditions that fall under resonance case, the equations describing the motion of the respective pendulum as a function of time can be written as: 1t=acos(t)cos(t) (5) and 2t=asin(t)sin(t), (6) where =(1+0)/2 is the average frequency, and =(1-0)/2 [1,4]. For the identical masses and same spring constant values, the graphs of these equations are shown in Figure 2. The system now exhibits the phenomenon of beats in which the two pendulums oscillate at the average frequency , but energies are exchanged between them at the beat frequency, [3].This is the frequency of the wave envelope as seen in the graphs below.

Figure 1.Amplitudes of 1 and 2 as a fuction of time in resonance mode of the coupled pendulum system when 1=a and 2=0.

In this experiment, we concentrate on the resonance mode of oscillation in which the frequency of energy transfer ,, between the coupled pendulums can be evaluated. The system is set in motion by displacing the right hand pendulum at very small angle while keeping the other one at rest. Their positions are recorded as a function time by a Labview program in a computer with camera that captures them as they move trough time. Here, the angular displacement is determined by the horizontal component, x of the pendulums position since =x/L for small angles of oscillation [3]. We plot each pendulums angular displacements as a function of time for different coupling lengths, l. For each graphs we obtained and . To check the influence of the coupling length to these frequencies, we use the following equations (see Appendix B for the derivation): =0l2+0 (7) and =0l2 . where =k/2mgL [4].The respective frequencies are plotted against the square of the coupling length, l. (8)

3. Results and Discussion

It is apparent on what is shown in Appendix C that the rate of energy transfer between the coupled pendulums increases with increasing coupling length. As the coupling spring is brought closer to the pendulums point of suspension, the torque due to the spring stiffness tends to zero. As this happen, 1 becomes equal to 0, follows the frequency of energy transfer, , becomes zero and the average frequency upon which they oscillate also decreases. These relationships are described by equation (7) and (8). The graph of these frequencies as a function of l 2 is shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4. From the graph in Figure 3, 0 and is determined to be (3.50 0.05) Hz and (0.49 0.05) m-2correspondingly by equation (7). As calculated in Appendix D, the value for 0 is 3.50 Hz while = 0.45m-2. Therefore equation (7) is satisfied by these results. The value of obtained from the graph gives up to 20% difference from the calculated value, furthermore, the scattering is quite large. This is suitable to the uncertainties in reading the periods from each graph shown in Appendix C. Though it is evident in Figure 4 that the graph of the beat frequency as a function of l 2 is less scattered, we ignore the possibility that this is due to the instability of the system brought about by small differences of the masses and lengths of the two pendulums. This is supported by the differences of

Figure 3.Average of for each pendulum resonance mode of oscillation as a function of l 2.

the graph and as a function of l 2 for each pendulum (refer Appendix E). From the graph in Figure 4 below, 0 and is determined to be (3.50 0.01) Hz and (0.47 0.01) m-2 respectively and satisfied equation (8).These values are much closer to the computed value compared to what is determined from the graph in Figure 3. The intercept 0.034 referring to the graph below is due to uncertainties in measuring l as well as the instability mentioned above.

Figure 4.Average , for each pendulum resonance mode of oscillation as a function of l 2.

4. Conclusion

The values, 0= (3.50 0.05) Hz and = (0.49 0.05) m-2 determined from the graph of as a function of l 2, and 0= (3.50 0.01) Hz and = (0.47 0.01) m-2 determined from the graph of as a function of l 2 proves that relationship described by equation (7) and (8) is true. The relationship between the coupling length l and the rate of energy transfer between the coupled pendulums is completely described by equation (8) and was experimentally proven.

References 1. M. McCall, Classical Mecahnics A Modern Introduction, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.,2001.
2. 3. 4. 5.

H. Young, R. Freedman, University Physics, 11th Ed, Pearson Education South Asia PTE LTP, 2004. R.A. Serway, J.W. Jewett, Principles of Physics, 3rd Ed, Thomson Learning, inc., 2002 Pesarchic, A. Oscillation death in Coupled Nonautonomous Systems with Parametrical Modulation, Physics Letters A, 318 (65-70), September,2003 L. Woodrow ,H. Coy, and J. Lindner Taming Chaos with Disorder in a Pendulum ArrayAmerican Association of Physics Teachers, Decemeber,199

Appendix A
Different Modes of Oscillations in a Coupled Pendulum
Case1: In Phase Mode If 2=0, 1=2 at all times and the motion is completely governed by equation (3) and frequency of oscillation is the same as that of an independent pendulum and spring has no effect. This is due to the fact that both the oscillations are oscillating in phase and the spring is neither stretched nor compressed all the time and hence always maintaining its natural length. Case2: Out of Phase Mode

If 1=0 , 1=-2 for all times the motion will be completely described by equation (4). The frequency of oscillation in this case is greater than that of the natural frequency of independent pendulum because the spring is either stretched or compressed. The pendulums are always out of phase. Case 1 and case 2 are called normal modes of oscillation. The frequencies 0=g/L and 1=02+2kl2mL2 as the normal frequencies. In normal mode all components of the system oscillates with the same normal frequency. An arbitrary oscillation of the system is actually linear combination of these two normal modes. In the following we shall study one such called resonance. Case 3: Resonance In this case both normal modes are excited with the same amplitude by displacing the right pendulum at an angle a. The general solution for equation (3) and (4) are the following: and

1=1+2 =1Acos(0t+1)

2=1-2 =2Asin(0t+2). For resonance, we choose amplitude 1A=2A=a and phase 1=2=0, the motion Of each pendulum is a superposition of the above equations. The displacement of the right pendulum is given by.
by trigonometry this becomes:

1=121+2=12acos0t+cos1t 1=acos(0+1)t2cos1-0t2 . 1=asin(0+1)t2sin1-0t2 .

Similarly the displacement of the left pendulum is:

Appendix B
Relating the Coupling Length, l to the Beat frequency,
To be able to describe the relationship between the coupling length and the beat frequency for resonance mode, we define as coupling factor the ratio: =kl2mgL+kl2. (a) For very weak coupling such that 02kl2mL2 , and can be written as:

=0+kl2mL20
and

(b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

=kl2mL20.
Substituting (b) and (c) to (a) yields:

=22+2. Substituting (d) to (a) where =(1+0)/2 and =(1-0)/2 this time , we get, =0k2mgLl2+0
as well as

=0k2mgLl2.

Appendix C
Amplitude Curves of the Oscillations of Coupled Pendulums in the Resonance Case for Three Different Coupling Lengths l as a Function of Time.
(Capture rate:15frames/second)

Appendix D
Calculated and Measured Quantities
Mass of the right pendulum: 510.65 g Mass of the left pendulum: 508.03g Natural frequency,0=g/L : 3.50 Hz Spring constant, k: 3.57 kg/s2 Length of the pendulum, L: 80.0 cm Ratio ,=k/2mgL: 0.45/m2

Appendix E
Accumulated Data From the Graphs Shown in Appendix C Periods, T, for the Average Frequency,
l (m) 30 35 T right pendulum I (s) 1.719443 1.646722 T left pendulum (s) 1.722643 1.640322

right pendulum (Hz)

3.654197 3.815571

left pendulum (Hz)

3.647409 3.830458

Average (Hz) 3.6508 3.823

40 45 50 55 60 70 75

1.664602 1.636382 1.60323 1.608614 1.526757 1.485422 1.404601

1.666002 1.633982 1.60023 1.600614 1.530957 1.480822 1.403401

3.774587 3.839682 3.91908 3.905963 4.115381 4.2299 4.473288

3.771415 3.845322 3.926427 3.925485 4.104091 4.24304 4.477113

3.773 3.8425 3.92275 3.9157 4.109728 4.23646 4.4752

Periods, T, for the Beat Frequency, l (m) 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 70 75 T right pendulum I (s) 34.2 28.867 21.5675 17.967 12.622 12 10.17767 8.4 7.178 T left pendulum (s) 34.2 27.067 19.767 16.801 13.178 12 9.622333 8.956667 7.172333

right pendulum (Hz)

0.183719 0.21766 0.291327 0.349707 0.497796 0.523599 0.61735 0.747998 0.875339 Graphs

left pendulum (Hz)

0.183719 0.232135 0.317862 0.373977 0.476794 0.523599 0.652979 0.701509 0.876031

Average (Hz) 0.183719 0.224897 0.304594 0.361842 0.487295 0.523599 0.635165 0.724754 0.875685