Critical damping returns the system to equilibrium as fast as possible without overshooting. An underdamped system will oscillate through the equilibrium position. An overdamped system moves more slowly toward equilibrium than one that is critically damped.

What is the condition for critical damping?

Critically Damped: “The condition in which the damping of an oscillator causes it to return as quickly as possible to its equilibrium position without oscillating back and forth about this position.

When the system is critically damped if?

Underdamped systems have a value of less than one. Critically damped systems have a damping ratio of exactly 1, or at least very close to it. is the natural frequency of the system. The damping ratio is dimensionless, being the ratio of two coefficients of identical units.