Define periodic & harmonic motion

Periodic Motion:

  • Periodic motion is a type of motion where an object or system repeats a certain pattern over and over again in equal time intervals. 
  • The time taken by an object to complete one full cycle of its motion is called its period.

Examples of periodic motion include the swinging of a pendulum, the motion of a wave, the rotation of the Earth around the sun, and the vibration of a guitar string.

Harmonic Motion:

  • Harmonic motion is a type of periodic motion where the restoring force acting on an object is proportional to its displacement from a reference position. 
  • In other words, the farther an object moves away from its reference position, the stronger the force is that tries to bring it back.


Examples of harmonic motion include the oscillation of a mass attached to a spring, the vibration of a tuning fork, and the motion of a simple pendulum.

To summarize, periodic motion is a type of motion that repeats in equal time intervals, while harmonic motion is a type of periodic motion where the restoring force is proportional to the displacement from a reference position.