Sliding friction is ubiquitous in nature as are harmonic oscillators. However, when treating
harmonic oscillators the effect of sliding friction is often neglected. Here, we propose a
simple analytical model to include both viscous and sliding friction in common harmonic
oscillator equations, allowing to separate these different types of dissipation. To compare
this model with experimental data, a nanometric vibration was imposed on a quartz tuning
fork, while an atomic force microscope tip was used to disturb its motion. We analyzed tuning …