Marinuța Ionela

11B

EXPERIMENT 10: SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTIONS

PURPOSE:

To measure the spring constant of a spring in equilibrium using the restoring force to examine
the mass - period relationship in simple harmonic motion and to find the spring constants of spring
systems which are connected in series and in parallel.

MATERIALS:

 Springs (2 identical, one different);

 Hook weights (0.5, 0.75 and 1kg);
 Meter stick;
 2 Table clamps;
 Counter balance and mass set;
 Stand rod(1000mm);
 Bunsen clip;
 2 Bossheads (1 with double screw, 1 with hook);
 3 Plastic cursors (for marking position along the meter stick).

PART I
MEASUREMENT AND CALCULATION TABLES:

Measurement Table 1 Calculation Table 1

Measurement # Hanging Mass (kg) Displacement (m) Restoring force Spring Constant
(N) (N/m)
1 0.50 0.15 4.90 32.66
2 0.75 0.23 7.35 31.95
3 1.00 0.30 9.80 32.66
32.36
CALCULATIONS 1:

Restoring force: F=m∙g Spring Constant: k=F/x

F 1= 0.5 ∙9.8 = 4.9 N k 1 = 4.9/0.15 = 32.6 N/m

F 2= 0.759∙.8=7.35 N k 2=¿7.35/0.23 = 38.60 N/m

F 3= 1∙9.8 = 9.8 N k 3 = 9.8/0.30 = 32.6 N/m

32.6+31.95+32.6
k average = = 32.36 N/m
3
 Marinuța Ionela
11B

GRAPHS:

X-Displacement x(m); Y-Restoring force F(N)

12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2 0.22 0.24 0.26 0.28

QUESTIONS:

1. According to the graph you have drawn, what is the relationship between the restoring force
and the displacement n simple harmonic motion?

The graph clearly shows that the restoring force is proportional to the length that the spring is
stretched (displacement).

2. Find the slope of the graph and compare it with the average value of k. See if the answers
coincide.

slope = rise / run = 4.9 / 0.15 = 32.66 and our average k is 32.36.

PART II
MEASUREMENT AND CALCULATION TABLES:

Measurement Table 2 Calculation Table 2

Measurement # Hanging Mass # of Oscillations Total Time (s) Period (s) Square Root
(kg) of Mass (kg)
1 0.25 10 5.24 0.52 0.50
2 0.50 10 7.29 0.729 0.70
3 0.75 10 9.23 0.903 0.86
4 1.00 10 11.02 1.1 1.00
CALCULATIONS:
Period : T=t/n
T 1= 4.84/10 = 0.484 s √ m₁= √ 0.25 = 0.5
T 2= 6.75/10 = 0.675 s √ m₂ = √ 0.5 = 0.70
T 3= 8.03/10 = 0.803 s √ m₃ = √ 0.75 = 0.86
T 4= 9.63/10 = 0.963 s √m ₄ = √1 = 1
 Marinuța Ionela
11B

GRAPHS:

X-Mass m(Kg); Y-Period T(s)

1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1

X- Square Root of Mass(Kg), Y-Period (s)

1.2

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1

QUESTIONS:

1. What relationship is there between the period and the mass in simple harmonic motion?

The relationship between the period and the mass in simple harmonic motion is that an
abject with a greater mass will vibrate with a longer period.

PART III
MEASUREMENT AND CALCULATION TABLES:

Measurement Table 3 Calculation Table 3

# of Total Time Period (s) Mass of Table Clamp Percentage
Oscillations (s) Graph Balance Error (%)
5 3.5 0.7 0.415 0.395 4.8
 Marinuța Ionela
11B

CALCULATIONS:
2
Unknown mass: m= T
¿¿

0.72 3.5
m= 32.36= 0.415 kg T= = 0.7s
6.182 5

QUESTIONS:

1. Is the mass which you found in the experiment by counting the oscillation period the internal
mass? Why? In places without gravity, can unknown masses be measured this way?

Yes, this is the inertial mass because it is determined by the gravitational force ( inertial
and gravitational mass are equivalent). A body’s mass determines the degree to which it is
affected by the gravitational field. Therefore, in places without gravity, masses cannot be
measured.

PART IV
MEASUREMENT AND CALCULATION TABLES:

Measurement Table 4 Calculation Table 4

Hanging Mass Number of Total Time (s) Period (s) Spring Constant
(kg) Oscillations (N/m)
0.172 10 4.45 0.445 33.17

CALCULATIONS:

(2 π )2
Spring Constant: k = m
T2

6.182 4.45
k= 0.172=33.17 T= = 0.445
0.4452 10

QUESTIONS:

1. If you would have repeated the experiment with double the mass you have used, what would
the value of the spring constant k be?

The spring constant would have remained the same because it is not affected by the mass, it is
an unalterable value.
 Marinuța Ionela
11B

2. How many methods of finding an unknown spring constant have you learned as a result of
your measurements up to now?

We have learned two methods, the first by using Hooke’s Law and dividing the resoring force by the
displacement. The second method requires measuring the mass and calculating the period, after which
we can find the spring constant by taking the square of two pi divided by the period and multiplying it
with the mass.

F m×(2 π )2
k= k=
x T2

PART V:
MEASUREMENT AND CALCULATION TABLES:

Measurement Table 5 Calculation Table 5

Attachment Mass k1 k2 # of Total Period k eq(N/m) %
Type Hung (N/m) (N/m) Oscillations Time (s) Error
Experimental Calculate
(kg) (s)
d
Series (1) 0.1 32.36 32.36 10 5.23 0.52 14.1 16.1 12
Parallel (2) 0.1 32.36 32.36 10 2.85 0.29 45.2 64.7 30

CALCULATIONS:

0.1 ×6.18 2 0.1× 6.182 5.23

k exp1 = = 14.12 k exp 2= = T= = 0.52s
0.522 0.292 10
N/m 45.2N/m 2.85
T= = 0.29s
1 1 10
k calc 1= k calc 2= 32.36 + 32.36 =
+
32.36 32.36
=
64.72 N/m
16.18 N/m

QUESTIONS:

In systems where the springs are attached in series and in parallel, what is the relationship between
the equivalent spring constant and the spring constant of each spring? Consider systems connected in
series and in parallel separately.

In spring systems connected in series, the equivalent spring constant is at least two times smaller
( depending on how many equal springs are connected) than the individual constant for a spring.
Furthermore, the equivalent spring constant of a parallel system will be at least double the individual
spring constant.
 Marinuța Ionela
11B

1 1 1
series: k = k + k parallel: k =k eq1+ k eqn
eq eq 1 eqn

According to the results you have obtained from the experiment, when a spring with constant k is
divided into two equal parts how should these two parts be connected so that the equivalent spring
constant of the system will still be equal to k?

A: If we cut a wire into two equivalent pieces, connecting them in parallel or series will not result in the
initial k. The only possible way to regain the initial k I see, is to melt the halves and remake the initial
wire.

CONCLUSION
One of the purposes of this experiment was to measure spring constants of springs in
equilibrium and to examine the relationship between its mass and period using the restoring force. We
have done this in the first, second and fourth part of the experiment. By plotting the period, mass and
square root of mass values on graphs, we were able to determine that the mass is proportional to the
period (the greater the mass, the longer the period), although our lines were no completely straight due
to the unevenly shaped objects we used (ex: table clamp, causing it to hit the stand rod while vibrating)
and our questionable ability to use a chronometer to the point of maximum accuracy. Also by graph,
we found out that the restoring force is proportional to the displacement.

In the third part, we used a balance and then another graph to find the unknown mass of a
table clamp and discovered that our calculations were quite precise.

The other objective was to determine the spring constants of spring systems which are
connected in series and in parallel, which is what the fifth and final part of this experiment focused on.
Here, we measure mass and time and calculated the period for each of the systems, after which we
calculated the spring constant both through formulas and experimentally. The main thing we perceived
is that Keq in a system connected in series formed by two equal springs is two times smaller than each
of their spring constants, while the equivalent spring constant of the same two springs connected in
parallel is twice as much as their spring constant.

We put our theoretical knowledge into practical use and got a better and more detailed
understanding of simple harmonic motion. Having said this, we can confidently affirm that our aims
were reached and the experiment was successful.