A structure subjected to oscillator

A structure subjected to oscillatory deformation consists
of a combination of kinetic and potential energy. In the
case of real structures consists of energy dissipative
elements as some of the energy is lost in each cycle. The
amount of energy dissipated is a measure of the structure’s
inherent damping. Damping can be viewed as the
conversion of mechanical energy of a vibrating structure
into thermal energy, which ultimately is lost to the
structure’s environment.