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Underdamped, critical, overdamped
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Three damping regimes with different return behaviour.
Light damping oscillates with decaying amplitude; critical damping returns to equilibrium fastest without overshoot; heavy damping returns slowly. Car suspensions are close to critical.
Door closers use critical damping.
Overdamped isn't faster than critical.
In more detail
Underdamped systems oscillate with decreasing amplitude, critically damped systems return to equilibrium fastest without oscillating, and overdamped systems return slowly without oscillating.
Real-world uses
- Car suspensions are typically designed to be slightly underdamped for comfort.
- Door closers and instrument needles are often critically damped.
- Door closers are designed to be critically damped, so the door closes quickly without swinging back and forth.
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Frequently asked questions
Which is fastest without overshoot?
Critical damping, which returns the system to equilibrium in the shortest time without oscillating.
What is overdamping?
Too much damping, which makes the return slow and sluggish.
What is the difference between underdamped and overdamped?
Underdamped systems oscillate with decreasing amplitude, while overdamped systems return to equilibrium slowly without oscillating.
Related topics in Oscillations & SHM
Average energy over a cycle · Differential equation of SHM · Damped oscillations · Quality factor · Forced oscillations · Resonance