Exponential Versus Linear Amplitude Decay in Damped Oscillators

Abstract

The problem of oscillatory motion is, without any doubt, one of the main topics in physics from elementary up to advanced courses. An understanding of this motion is also relevant in many areas outside physics, including chemistry, biology, engineering, medical research, and economics to name a few. In physics, students encounter oscillatory behavior in classical mechanics, electricity, optics, and later in quantum mechanics.