The tendency of a system to resist oscillation

  • A decrease in the amplitude of an oscillation as a result of energy loss from a
    system owing to frictional or other resistive forces.
  • A degree of damping is desirable and necessary for accurate measurement, but too
    much damping is problematic.
  • The terminology should be considered in the context of a measuring system that is attempting to respond to an instantaneous change in the measured value – this is akin to the situation in which you suddenly stop flushing an arterial line while watching the arterial trace on the theatre monitor