More on the Pendulum

We do however expect that the motion will gradually come to an end due a viscous drag torque acting on the pendulum. In the presence of the drag, the above equation becomes $$ \begin{equation} ml\frac{d^2\theta}{dt^2}+\nu\frac{d\theta}{dt} +mgsin(\theta)=0, \tag{47} \end{equation} $$ where \( \nu \) is now a positive constant parameterizing the viscosity of the medium in question. In order to maintain the motion against viscosity, it is necessary to add some external driving force. We choose here a periodic driving force. The last equation becomes then $$ \begin{equation} ml\frac{d^2\theta}{dt^2}+\nu\frac{d\theta}{dt} +mgsin(\theta)=Asin(\omega t), \tag{48} \end{equation} $$ with \( A \) and \( \omega \) two constants representing the amplitude and the angular frequency respectively. The latter is called the driving frequency.