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Oscillation

Updated: Spring 2008

STUDENT OUTCOMES

Through this experiment, students will learn:

-How to model Simple harmonic oscillator motion

-How to apply the concept of amplitude and frequency to a spring

In this experiment, you will need to use the concept of frequency, and angular frequency to be able to reproduce a specific type of oscillation.

MATERIALS

Hanger (50 g) / Vernier Computer Interface
masses / spring

Purpose of the experiment

Produce two oscillations using a spring: one oscillation of 1 Hz, and another oscillation of 1.2 Hz.

In order to produce those oscillations, you will need to 1) calculate the spring constant, and choose the mass attached to the spring that will be used during the oscillation. Once you know exactly what to use in order to produce those exact oscillation frequency, do the experiment, produce a position vs time graph and measure the frequency obtained from this graph in order to compare it with the predicted ones.

For this experiment, you will be expected to write a scientific type of report format as follow (use the following template and simply replace all the guidelines in italic with your own words, data, and results):

Title

INTRODUCTION

State briefly the purpose of this experiment.

METHOD

Explain all the steps you have to go through in order to achieve the oscillations that you need to reproduce (keep in mind when writing this that the reader needs to have enough information in this section to be able to reproduce your exact experiment): how to get the spring constant, which mass to choose in order to obtain the needed frequency of oscillation, the amplitude chosen to produce such oscillation.

RESULTS

Include the following (in order)

1)

Table and graph needed to obtain the spring constant.

Formula used and mathematical description/steps to predict which mass to use in order to produce the first frequency of oscillation (1 Hz).

Formula used and mathematical description/steps to predict which mass to use in order to produce the second frequency of oscillation (1.2 Hz).

2)

A printscreen of your position vs time oscillation (1 Hz)

Based on your printscreen, deduce the experimental frequency of the oscillation (make sure to include markers on your graph to show how you measured the needed quantities).

Give a mathematical expression that describes this oscillation (make sure to decide whether you want to use sin or cosine function based on your own graph! You are welcome to choose whatever starting point in your print screen (by cropping it at the appropriate time) so that it matches your sin or cosine choice – if this confuses you, make sure to review math140 and the difference between a sin and a cosine function).

3)

A printscreen of your position vs time oscillation (1.2 Hz)

Based on your printscreen, deduce the experimental frequency of the oscillation (make sure to include markers on your graph to show how you measured the needed quantities).

Give a mathematical expression that describes this oscillation (make sure to decide whether you want to use sin or cosine function based on your own graph! You are welcome to choose whatever starting point in your print screen (by cropping it at the appropriate time) so that it matches your sin or cosine choice – if this confuses you, make sure to review math140 and the difference between a sin and a cosine function).

DISCUSSION

1) Compare your experimental frequency (obtained from your results/printscreen) with the actual frequency (1 Hz), by computing the PE. Discuss the accuracy of your results.

2) Compare your experimental frequency (obtained from your results/printscreen) with the actual frequency (1.2 Hz), by computing the PE. Discuss the accuracy of your results.

(hint: if your PE values are high, research the behavior of k as the force applied to it gets strong enough).

3) If you want to create your own radio station emitter and start blasting out a signal of 600 kHz towards the holy stars (let’s imagine we can tunnel through our atmosphere and avoid our AM signal to bounce back towards the earth as its emission is directed towards the sky) in the hope that some Aliens might pick it up and answer back “He110!”.

All you have in your workshop is a bunch of spring of various k values and masses. How would you choose your equipment to produce such signal?

CONCLUSION

Restate your objective, your accuracy results and based on those, state whether the mathematical model of frequency that you had to use is a reasonable description of Simple Harmonic Oscillation.