Question

A spring with a mass of 400.0 g is set into simple harmonic motion. The graph of the force of the spring vs. displacement is shown. The data of the position of the spring vs. time while it is oscillating are also shown.

Answer 1

a. Determine the spring constant from the graph.
b. Make a position vs. time graph for the spring’s motion.
c. Determine the amplitude and period of the spring’s motion from your graph.
d. Calculate the period of the spring’s motion using the spring’s period equation.
e. Determine the percent error by comparing the period from the graph (experimental value) to the calculated value (accepted value).

Answer 2

a)
\[k=\frac{\omega^2}{m}\]

b) The position verse time graph will be sinusoidal

c) The amplitude is the max height, the period T how long it takes to get from one maximum to another

d)
\[ T=\frac{2 \pi}{\omega}\]
e) percent error = experimental value/accepted value