Context - The steel cables on a suspension bridge are under a great deal of tension as they help in distributing the load of a bridge to the main tower. These tensional forces help maintain the lateral stability of the bridge. Viaduct Definition - A series of spans or arches used to carry a road or railroad over a wide valley or over other roads or railroads. Context - Viaducts serve as the economic and communication lifelines for many cities. First Harmonic or Fundamental Frequency or First Mode of Vibration Definition- refers to the lowest possible frequency that can produce a standing wave.
Overtones refer to higher frequencies which also produce standing waves.
Damping Definition -refers to damping the loss of mechanical energy as the amplitude of motion gradually decreases. Context - in many instances, damping is a desired effect. For example, shock absorbers on cars remove unwanted energy. Resonance Definition -An object subjected to an external oscillatory force tends to vibrate. The vibrations that result are called forced vibrations.