The physical interpretation of the quality factor, Q, of a harmonic oscillator is
A) that it is related to the amplitude enhancement for a system driven by an external force at resonance.
B) roughly coincident with the number of cycles the oscillator completes before the oscillations damp away significantly.
C) a factor that is related to the energy lost per cycle.
D) related to all of the above statements.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The quality factor, Q, of a harmonic oscillator indeed encompasses all the mentioned aspects: it quantifies the amplitude enhancement at resonance (A), is a measure of how many oscillation cycles occur before the energy significantly dissipates (B), and is directly related to the energy lost per cycle (C). Thus, all statements A, B, and C are correct interpretations of the quality factor.

The Physical Interpretation of the Quality Factor, Q, of a Harmonic