Author(s)

R.I. Johnson

Abstract

With the advent of low priced personal computers and the availability of low cost mathematical analysis and spreadsheet software, the solution of advanced vibration problems may be solved by either exact or numerical solutions with relative ease. Specifically, this applies to single degree of freedom systems with or without damping and forcing functions. Vibration due to impact creates a forcing function of a fairly simple type, thus lending itself to a straightforward computer solution. This paper discusses the use of the program Mathcad to obtain exact mathematical solutions and the use of the spreadsheet program Microsoft Excel to obtain approximate numerical solutions of impact induced vibrations on single degree of freedom problems and the expansion of these methods to multiple degree of freedom problems. 1 Introduction

Keywords