Purpose
To demonstrate the simple harmonic motion of a mass on a spring.
Description
Mass, suspended from a spring, oscillates slowly up and down.
Choose a mass such that its frequency is slow enough to make basic observations, yet heavy
enough to prevent motion from dampening out too quickly.
VARIATIONS:
- Hang the same mass from two springs hung parallel
- Hang the same mass from two springs hung in series
-Use PASCO's motion detector (& Science Workshop computer interface) to analysis the
real-time motion of the mass. (x vs. t, v vs. t, and a vs. t).
-For large classrooms, use a mass suspended from a modified slinky hung from the
classroom ceiling.
Mass-on-a-Spring Applet: Plots displacement, velocity, (restoring) force, acceleration of a mass on a spring. You can vary the mass, amplitude, and spring constant http://home.a-city.de/walter.fendt/phe/springpendulum.htm
Equipment
Various springs, masses
Support Equipment
Spring stand