Discussion at Midwinter convention: Overdamped condenser oscillations

Prof. V. Karapetoff: I should like to draw your attention to a simple mechanical model which is represented mathematically by the same differential equations as the electric circuit discussed in the paper. Think of a horizontal helical spring attached at one end to an immovable wall and at the other end to a mass supported on frictionless rollers. Let there also be a tank with viscous fluid, and let a vane attached to the mass be immersed in it. Without this viscous fluid we would have a simple oscillating system; by starting it from a position which is not one of equilibrium, and letting it go, we would produce oscillations which theoretically would go on forever. By adding a vane and a viscous liquid we get damped oscillations; mathematical equations for this system are exactly the same as the equations for a circuit containing R, Land C, but no leakage.