Dashpot

A mechanical device that resists motion by forcing a piston or other moving part through a viscous fluid or air. It dissipates energy and damps movement while allowing a sustained force to produce steady motion.

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Viscous damping: Energy dissipation caused by resistance proportional to an object's velocity through a viscous medium. A dashpot is a device that produces this form of damping.
Mass-spring-damper system: A mechanical model combining inertia, elastic restoring force, and damping. A dashpot supplies the damping element in this standard model.
Door closer: A mechanism that automatically closes a door, usually controlling its motion with a spring and hydraulic damping. Its hydraulic dashpot slows the door and prevents it from slamming.
Spring: An elastic component that stores mechanical energy when deformed and exerts a restoring force. A spring stores energy; a dashpot dissipates it rather than returning it.
Piston: A sliding component that moves within a cylinder to transmit force or displace fluid. Many dashpots create resistance as a piston displaces fluid through a restricted passage.
Simple harmonic motion: Periodic motion in which restoring force is proportional to displacement and directed toward equilibrium. Adding a dashpot changes undamped oscillation into damped motion.
Shock absorber: A suspension component that dissipates energy from vehicle motion to limit bouncing. Many shock absorbers use hydraulic damping closely related to dashpot action.
Friction damper: A damping device that dissipates energy through sliding friction between contacting surfaces. It resists motion through surface friction rather than viscous flow.
Orifice: A small opening through which fluid flows, often controlling its rate or pressure. The orifice meters fluid flow and sets the dashpot's resistance to motion.
Damped harmonic oscillator: An oscillator whose amplitude decreases because energy is dissipated over time. A dashpot is the classic mechanical source of its damping force.