Two magnets and a spring

In an idealized mass-spring system, the spring provides a restoring force proportional to its
displacement from its rest position (Hooke’s Law). This ideal spring is never overstretched or
completely compressed. These sorts of assumptions (hopefully) yield models that are simple
enough to be tractable but accurate enough to be useful. But we should always be mindful of the
underlying assumptions.

For example, we frequently think of a rubber band as a kind of spring. When stretched, it provides
a restoring force toward its rest length. However, there are limitations. We cannot stretch the rubber
band too far or it will break. More importantly, a compressed rubber band provides no force. We
expect the behavior of a system with a spring and a rubber band to be different from one with a
spring alone.

In this lab we compare models for a mass-spring system and a mass-spring system with the addition
of a rubber band (see Figure 2.68). The rubber band adds extra restoring force when the
displacement is positive but adds no force when the displacement is negative.

The mass-spring system depicted in Figure 2.68 is modeled by

d2y dy
m 2
b  k 1 y  10m
dt dt

where y measures the vertical displacement (with down as positive) in meters. The

parameters are the mass m, the damping coefficient b, and the spring constant k1. The

constant 10m on the right-hand side of the equation is a rough approximation of the

force due to gravity.

To include the rubber band, we add an extra term to the equation above. We assume

that the rubber band obeys Hooke’s Law when it is stretched but that it exerts no force when it is
compressed. Let h(y) be the function that is y if y is positive and zero

if y is negative, that is,

y, if y  0;
h(y)  
 0, if y  0.

Then the term k2h(y) models the restoring force of a rubber band with a “spring constant”
k2 when it is stretched and no effect when it is compressed. We obtain

d2 y dy
m 2
b  k1y  k 2h(y)  10m
dt dt

where the parameters m, b, and k1 are as above. We choose m = 1 for simplicity.

Consider the following cases:

1. (Ideal mass-spring system with no rubber band) Choose a value of k1 such that
12 < k1 < 13 and study solutions of the equation

d2 y
m 2  k1y  10m
dt

Examine solutions using both their graphs and the phase portrait. Are solutions periodic?
If so, approximate the period of the solutions. Be specific about the physical
interpretation of the solutions for different initial conditions.

2. (Mass-spring system with damping but no rubber band) In Part 1, b = 0. Now repeat
your analysis for

d2 y dy
m 2
b  k1y  10m
dt dt

using the same value of k1 as in Part 1 and various values of b. In particular, try
b = 1.0 and b = 10.0. Describe how solutions change as b is adjusted. In fact, there
is a particularly important b-value between b = 1.0 and b = 10.0 that separates
the b = 1.0 behavior from the b = 10.0 behavior. This “bifurcation” value of b is
difficult to locate numerically, but try your best.
3. (Mass-spring system with rubber band but no damping) Once again let b = 0, but
now add the rubber band to the system. That is, consider the equation

d2 y
m  k1y  k 2h(y)  10m
dt 2

Use the same value for k1 as you used in Part 1 and choose a value of k2 such that
4.5 < k2 < 5.0. Repeat the analysis described in Part 1 for this equation.

4. (Damped mass-spring system with rubber band) We now add damping into the system
in Part 3 and obtain
 d2 y dy
m 2
b  k1y  k 2h(y)  10
dt dt

Repeat the analysis described in Part 2 for this equation.

Your report: Address each of the previous items. You may provide illustrations from
the computer, but remember that although a good illustration is worth 1000 words, 1000
illustrations are worth nothing. Make sure you use your conclusions about the solutions
of these equations to describe how the mass oscillates.

d2x x 1 x 1
 0.3x  
dt 2

x  12  a 2 3
2
x  1
2
 a2 
3
2

d2x x2 x2

 0.3x  
dt 2

x  22  a 2  x  2  a 
3
2 2 2
3
2