Name: Mohammed Chowdhury

ID: 2015001854
Course number: Phy..221 Lab
Lab section: 04

Exp. (2)
Simple Harmonic Motion (spring)

Date: 14/10/2016
Abstract:
Simple harmonics motion occurs when the net force acting on an objecting is proportional to the

object’s displacement from an equilibrium position. In this experiment we will study the motion

of an object moving under the impact of a force that acts upon it with a strength proportional to

the magnitude of the object’s displacement, such that the force always acts to restore the object

to the equilibrium position.

Objectives:

 Determination of hook’s constant (k) or the spring constant.

 Determination of the effective mass of the spring meff.

 Determination of the acceleration due to gravity g.

 Observe the time of oscillating when we increase masses and changing springs.

Background (Theory):

If an applied force varies linearly with position, the force can be defines as F=ax where a is

called he force constant. Once such physical system where this force exists is with common

helical spring acting on a body. If the spring is stretched or compressed a small distance from its

equilibrium position, the spring will exert a force on the body given by Hooke’s law, namely

Fs = −¿kx

Where Fs is known as the spring force. Here the constant of proportionality, k , is the known as

the spring constant, and x is the displacement of the body from its equilibrium position (at x=0 ).

The spring constant is an indication of the spring’s stiffness. A large value for k indicates that the
spring is stiff. A low value for k means the spring is soft. Generally speaking, spring with large k

values can balance larger forces than springs with low k values.

F = −kx

If the spring in equilibrium under the load M, then

Mg = −kx ……….. (1)

Kx is the restoring force

When the spring is set in oscillatory motion and applying Newton’s second law on the load which is

accelerated towards he equilibrium position, the equation of motion is:

F = −kx = (M+m) a…. (2)

In differential form equation (2) becomes

d2 x
(M + m) = −kx …….(3)
dt 2

Where k is the spring constant measured in N/m

Adding the affective mass of the spring to the mass of the load and from euation (3) we get:

d2 x −k
x =−ω2 x
2 =
dt ( M + m)

k
, ω= k . 2π k
ω 2=
( M +m ) √
M +m T
=
√
M +m

k
T = 2π
√ M +m
……….. (4)
 4 π2
)(M + m) …….(5)
2
T =(
k

4 π2 4 π2
m ……(6)
2
T = M+
k k

Plot the relation between T2 versus M as shown in the figure:

T2 (s2) 4 π2
S=
k

4 π2
m
k

4 π2 4 π2
Slope = s = k=
k s

4 π2
Intercept = ( ¿ m=s × m m =intercept / s
k

From equation (1)

k = ¿)g ……………….(7)

From equation (5)

4 π2 M
K= ( )………….. (8)
k T2

Equating these two equations a value for g, the acceleration of gravity may be calculated.
Method (Procedure):
a) Hook’s Law
 Suspend a spring and measure the initial length Lo

 Hung a hunger and a suitable mass to spring, read the scale and calculate the

elongation x.

 Increase the load and calculate the elongated x again

 Repeat 3rd step three times, and tabulate your data in table (1)

 Calculate F and plot graph between F and x and calculate k.

b) The effective mass of the spring

 Hung a suitable mass to the spring and set it to oscillate in a vertical plane.

 Measure the time for 20 complete oscillations

 Deduce the time for one oscillation T.

 Repeat the previous steps for five times with different masses.

 Tabulate yours results in data table.

 Plot graph of T2 as ordinate and m as abscissa.

 From the slope of the graph determine k and from the negative intercept, on the

horizontal axis determine the effective mass of the spring.

c) The acceleration of gravity

Use equation (7) and (8) in combination with the results obtained in part (a) and

part (b) calculate (g).

 Data and Calculations:
Blue
Time for Time for Time for
Mass Average 2 T2/M K
10 osc. t1 10 osc. t2 one osc. t T
(kg) t tav. (s) (slope) (N/m)
(s) (s) (s)
1.2575112
0.2 5 5.03 5.015 0.5015 0.25 31.394
5
0.4 6.6 6.8 6.7 0.67 0.45 1.12225 35.178
1.0800416
0.6 7.9 8.2 8.05 0.805 0.65 36.553
7
K average
34.375
(N/m)

Green
Time for Time for Time for
Mass Average T2/M K
10 osc. t1 10 osc. t2 one osc. t T2
(kg) t tav. (s) (slope) (N/m)
(s) (s) (s)
0.4 5.6 5.1 5.35 0.535 0.29 0.7155625 55.171
0.6 6.3 6.42 6.36 0.636 0.4 0.67416 58.559
0.8 7.2 7.1 7.15 0.715 0.51 0.63903125 61.779
K average
58.503
(N/m)

Red
Time for Time for Time for
Mass Average T2/M K
10 osc. t1 10 osc. t2 one osc. t T2
(kg) t tav. (s) (slope) (N/m)
(s) (s) (s)
0.2 5 5.2 5.1 0.51 0.26 1.3005 30.356
0.4 7.5 7.1 7.3 0.73 0.53 1.33225 29.633
1.2760416
0.6 8.7 8.8 8.75 0.875 0.77 30.938
7
 K average
30.309
(N/m)

Yellow
Time for Time for Time for
Mass Average 2 T2/M K
10 osc. t1 10 osc. t2 one osc. t T
(kg) t tav. (s) (slope) (N/m)
(s) (s) (s)
0.2 4.26 4.3 4.28 0.428 0.18 0.91592 43.102
0.4 6.3 6.3 6.3 0.63 0.4 0.99225 39.787
0.6 7.7 7.9 7.8 0.78 0.61 1.014 38.933
K average
40.608
(N/m)

White
Time for Time for Time for
Mass Average 2 T2/M K
10 osc. t1 10 osc. t2 one osc. t T
(kg) t tav. (s) (slope) (N/m)
(s) (s) (s)
0.4 5.6 5.4 5.5 0.55 0.3 0.75625 52.203
0.6 6.9 7 6.95 0.695 0.48 0.80504167 49.039
0.8 7.8 7.8 7.8 0.78 0.61 0.7605 51.911
K average
51.051
(N/m)
Data Analysis:
After completing the experiment and calculating Average spring constant for every spring (K)

we conclude that Red spring had the least spring constant and Green spring had the maximum

spring constant out of all the five springs.

Graph of (T2 – M)

0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
T2 0.4 Blue
Red
0.3
Yellow
0.2
0.1
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6
Mass (kg)

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4
T2
0.3 Green
White
0.2

0.1

0
0 0.4 0.6 0.8
Mass (kg)
Slope = T2/M

4 π2
K= (N/m)
Slope
K Blue 34.232
K Yellow 40.530
K Red 30.300
K Green 58.378
K White 51.010
Conclusion:

 The measured Spring Constant (K) from graph is approximately as experimental values

 We have discovered the effective mass of the spring meff.

 The Green spring had the highest spring constant and red has the lowest.

 There is relation between mass and time, when we increase the mass the time for

oscillating also increases.

 We increase force by increasing mass(F=mg)