In 1831, soldiers marched across the Broughton Bridge in England in “lock step”—that is, marching in time together. As they marched, the bridge began to bounce in time with their footsteps; the amplitude of this bouncing became larger and larger until the bridge suddenly collapsed. Explain why the lock step of the soldiers caused this collapse and why afterward soldiers were ordered to “break step,” or march at their own individual rates, as they crossed bridges.
Simple harmonic motion
Simple harmonic motion is a type of periodic motion in which an object undergoes oscillatory motion. The restoring force exerted by the object exhibiting SHM is proportional to the displacement from the equilibrium position. The force is directed towards the mean position. We see many examples of SHM around us, common ones are the motion of a pendulum, spring and vibration of strings in musical instruments, and so on.
Simple Pendulum
A simple pendulum comprises a heavy mass (called bob) attached to one end of the weightless and flexible string.
Oscillation
In Physics, oscillation means a repetitive motion that happens in a variation with respect to time. There is usually a central value, where the object would be at rest. Additionally, there are two or more positions between which the repetitive motion takes place. In mathematics, oscillations can also be described as vibrations. The most common examples of oscillation that is seen in daily lives include the alternating current (AC) or the motion of a moving pendulum.
In 1831, soldiers marched across the Broughton Bridge in England in “lock step”—that is, marching in time together. As they marched, the bridge began to bounce in time with their footsteps; the amplitude of this bouncing became larger and larger until the bridge suddenly collapsed. Explain why the lock step of the soldiers caused this collapse and why afterward soldiers were ordered to “break step,” or march at their own individual rates, as they crossed bridges.
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