Mobius Institute helps to understand system dynamics
Mobius Institute has released Vibration Matters newsletter which continues to look at system dynamics. In their previous issue of Vibration Matters, they introduced System Dynamics and discussed the basics of mass, stiffness and damping. In the January issue they go deeper to the natural frequency, and the effect of mass, stiffness and damping in practice.
A single-degree-of-freedom system has a single natural frequency. As stated earlier, most structures we deal with are multi-degree-of-freedom systems, and will have multiple natural frequencies. In many cases they lie dormant within a machine and we are not aware of them. A tuning fork is a classic example of a structure with a known natural frequency. If the tuning fork is for the note A, the frequency of the tuning fork is 440 Hz. But unless someone strikes the tuning fork, the natural frequency lies dormant.