Mass-spring-damper system

Damping of an oscillating system corresponds to a loss of energy or equivalently, a decrease in the amplitude of vibration.

**Figure 5:** A mass-spring-damper system.
$\begin{figure}\centerline{% \input{mass-spring-damper.pstex_t}}\end{figure}$

The damper is a mechanical resistance (or viscosity) and introduces a drag force typically proportional to velocity,

$\displaystyle F_r$	$\displaystyle =$	$\displaystyle -Rv$
	$\displaystyle =$	$\displaystyle -R\frac{dx}{dt},$

where

is the mechanical resistance.

``MUS 206: Mechanical Vibration'' by Tamara Smyth, Department of Music, University of California, San Diego (UCSD).