Coupled masses vibrate either along or perpendicular to spring direction

Evidence

When several masses are coupled through springs, the resulting system shows more complicated oscillatory behaviour. Figures 2.5a and 2.5b illustrate a case where two masses, coupled together by springs and attached to a fixed (non-movable) support, vibrate in the horizontal direction. Such movement is called longitudinal vibration. The case of the same two springcoupled masses now moving in the vertical direction is depicted in Figures 2.5c and 2.5d. The movement occurs perpendicular to the coupling spring direction and is called transversal vibration. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 162

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines longitudinal versus transversal vibration for coupled spring systems.