Much of physics sometimes remains incomprehensible. And the point is not always that a person just read a little on this topic. Sometimes the material is given in such a way that it is simply impossible to understand it for a person who is not familiar with the basics of physics. One rather interesting section that people do not always understand the first time and are able to comprehend is periodic fluctuations. Before explaining the theory of periodic oscillations, let's talk a bit about the history of the discovery of this phenomenon.
History
The theoretical foundations of periodic oscillations were known in the ancient world. People saw how waves move evenly, how wheels rotate, passing through a certain period of time through the same point. It is from these simple, at first glance, phenomena that the concept of oscillations came from.
The first evidence of the description of the oscillations was not preserved, but it is known for certain that one of the most common types (namely, electromagnetic ones) was theoretically predicted by Maxwell in 1862. After 20 years, his theory was confirmed. Then Heinrich Hertz conducted a series of experiments proving the existence of electromagnetic waves and the presence of certain properties inherent only to them. As it turned out, light is also an electromagnetic wave and obeys all relevant laws. A few years before Hertz, there was a man who demonstrated the generation of electromagnetic waves to the scientific community, but due to the fact that he was not as strong in theory as Hertz, he could not prove that the success of the experiment was due to oscillations.
We are a little off topic. In the next section, we consider the main examples of periodic fluctuations that we can meet in everyday life and in nature.
Kinds
These phenomena occur everywhere and constantly. And besides the waves and rotation of the wheels already cited as an example, we can notice periodic fluctuations in our body: cardiac contractions, lung movement, and so on. If you zoom in and move on to larger objects than our bodies, you can see fluctuations in a science like biology.
An example is periodic fluctuations in the number of populations. What is the meaning of this phenomenon? In any population, it always increases or decreases. And this is due to different factors. Due to the limited space and many other factors, the population cannot grow indefinitely, therefore, with the help of natural mechanisms, nature has learned to reduce the number. In this case, periodic fluctuations in numbers occur. The same thing happens with human society.
Now we will discuss the theory of this concept and analyze a few formulas relating to such a concept as periodic oscillations.
Theory
Periodic fluctuations are a very interesting topic. But, like in any other, the further you plunge - the more incomprehensible, new and complex. In this article we will not go deeper, we will only briefly talk about the main properties of oscillations.
The main characteristics of periodic oscillations are the period and frequency of oscillations. The period shows how long the wave takes to return to its original position. In fact, this is the time during which the wave travels the distance between its neighboring ridges. There is another quantity that is closely related to the previous one. This is the frequency. The frequency is inverse to the period and has such physical meaning: this is the number of wave crests that have passed through a certain region of space per unit time. The frequency of periodic oscillations , if presented in mathematical form, has the formula: v = 1 / T, where T is the oscillation period.
Before proceeding to the conclusion, we will tell a little about where periodic fluctuations are observed and how knowledge about them can be useful in life.
Application
We have already examined the types of periodic oscillations. Even if you are guided by a list of where they meet, it is easy to understand that they surround us everywhere. Electromagnetic waves emit all of our electrical appliances. Moreover, the communication of the telephone with the telephone or listening to the radio would not have been possible without them.
Sound waves are also vibrations. Under the influence of electric voltage, a special membrane in a sound generator begins to vibrate, creating waves of a certain frequency. Following the membrane, air molecules begin to oscillate, which in the end reach our ear and are perceived as sound.
Conclusion
Physics is a very interesting science. And even if it seems that you kind of know everything in it that can be useful in everyday life, there is still such a thing that it would be useful to understand better. We hope that this article has helped you understand or recall material on the physics of oscillations. This is indeed a very important topic, the practical application of the theory from which is found everywhere today.