Damping

CORE DEFINITION

Damping refers to the characteristic of any vibrating system in which the amplitude of vibration gradually decreases due to external effects (such as fluid resistance, friction, etc.) and/or inherent causes of the system itself, as well as the quantitative characterization of this characteristic. In actual vibration, since friction is always present, the energy initially obtained by the vibrating system is continuously reduced by the negative work done by resistance during the vibration process, causing the system's energy to decrease, the vibration intensity to gradually weaken, and the amplitude to become smaller and smaller, until the vibration finally stops. Such vibration, where the mechanical energy of the system gradually decreases due to friction and conversion into internal energy, and the amplitude weakens over time, is called damped vibration. When damping is strong, the damped oscillator barely vibrates, and the amplitude gradually decreases to reach stable equilibrium, which is called overdamping. When damping is weak, the damped oscillator must slowly reduce the amplitude through multiple vibrations and finally return to the equilibrium position, thus taking a longer time to achieve stable equilibrium, which is called underdamping. Another situation is when the damped oscillator reaches stable equilibrium at the most stable speed and in the shortest time, which is called critical damping.