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Question
Explain free and forced vibrations. Give an experimental arrangement to illustrate the phenomenon of resonance.
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Solution
When a system or a body vibrates without receiving impulses from another system or body, its vibrations are said to be free vibrations. However, when a system or body vibrates on account of impulses received from another system or body, the vibrations are called forced vibrations. In such a case the body or the system vibrates with the frequency of the impulses received and not with its natural frequency.

Experiment Arrangement to illustrate Resonance: In the figure, the two pendulums have exactly equal lengths. However, the bob of the pendulum A is heavier. Displace the bob of the pendulum A by a little distance in a direction perpendicular to the plane containing the two pendulums. Then release the bob. The pendulum A will begin to oscillate. After a short while, you will find that the pendulum B also begins to vibrate. Note that the two pendulums have the same frequency. The pendulum A through the rubber tube applies impulses of the same frequency on the pendulum B Hence, the pendulum B begins to vibrate.
RELATED QUESTIONS
In the diagram below, A, B, C, D are four pendulums suspended from the same elastic string PQ. The length of A and C are equal to each other while the length of pendulum B is smaller than that of D. Pendulum A is set into a mode of vibrations

1) Name the type of vibrations taking place in pendulums B and D?
2) What is the state of pendulum C?
3) State the reason for the type of vibrations in pendulum B and C.
Distinguish between the free (or natural) and forced vibrations.
In following figure shows A, B , C and D represent test tube each of height 20 cm which are filled with water up to heights of 12 cm, 14 cm, 16cm and 18cm respectively. If a vibrating tuning fork is placed over the mouth if test tube D, a loud sound is heard.

- Describe the observations with the tubes A, B and C when the vibrating tuning fork is placed over the mouth of these tubes.
- Give the reason for your observation in each case.
- State the principle illustrated by the above experiment.
When a body vibrates under a periodic force, the vibrations of the body are ______.
A tuning fork of frequency 256 Hz will resonate with another tuning fork of frequency:
In fig. , P, Q, R and S represent test tubes each of height 20 cm which are filled with water upto heights of 10 cm, 14 cm, 16 cm and 18 cm respectively. If a vibrating tuning fork is placed over the mouth of test tube Q, a loud sound is heard.
(i) Describe the observations with the tubes P, R and S.
(ii) Give the reason for your observation in each case.
(iii) State the principle illustrated by the above experiment.

A bucket kept under a running tap is getting filled with water. A person sitting at a distance is able to get an idea when the bucket is about to be filled.
(i) What change takes place in the sound to give this idea?
(ii) What causes the change in the sound?
State two ways in which resonance differs from forced vibrations.
Explain Why are stringed musical instruments provided with large sound boxes?
What do you understand by free (or natural) vibrations?
