Final answer:
In damped harmonic motion, the amplitude of the oscillator decreases with time. The damping coefficient represents the rate at which energy is lost in each cycle. To determine the damping coefficient, the students need to count the number of oscillations until the amplitude has decreased to 77.5% of its initial value.
Step-by-step explanation:
In damped harmonic motion, the amplitude of the oscillator decreases with time. To determine the damping coefficient, the students count the number of oscillations that occur until the amplitude has decreased to 77.5% of its initial value. They can then use this information to calculate the damping coefficient.
The damping coefficient represents the rate at which energy is lost in each cycle. In this case, the percentage of mechanical energy lost in each cycle can be calculated by finding the difference between the final amplitude and the initial amplitude and dividing it by the initial amplitude. This value will give the percentage of mechanical energy lost in each cycle.