SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION:MASS ON SPRING - Lab Report Example

Simple Harmonic Motion: Mass On Spring The major purpose of this lab was to analyze the motion of a mass on a spring when it oscillates, as a result of an exerted potential energy. This involved studying the movement of the mass while examining the spring properties during the motion. The exercises carried out involved recording the position of the mass before charging the spring, path taken by the mass, the amplitude and the force impacted by the mass. In which case, the instruments used were data studio alongside force sensor.

Introduction In a physics lab, oscillating motion is one of the core practices given its close relation to various types of motion studied in physics. This especially is evident in mass on a spring when it moves, and a physicist would be interested in dissecting how it oscillates after exerting a force. The resulting motion, in the case, is harmonic motion. Harmonic motion is normally evident in waves, pendulum and circular motion (Loyd, 2008). It is worth noting that the oscillating property witnessed has a cause and this is what triggers the need for studying harmonic motion while using mass on a spring.

The measured variables in this case are recording the position of the mass before charging the spring, path taken by the mass, the amplitude and the force. Further this involves confirming the validity of the following equation:T=2πm/k (where m is mass and k is spring constant)Conclusion From the experiment, it was successfully confirmed that there is a correlation between increased mass and force exerted and hence the displacement evident in the spring. This was confirmed by a straight line from the origin for the graph of force vs displacement.

Further, the experiment also proved that the equation T=2πm/k was a true representation of the relationship between period, spring constant and mass (Loyd, 2008). The percent error was 0.622% which is insignificant and thereby giving a proof of accuracy realized from the experiment. In addition, the experiment confirmed that the size of the mass, besides the initial force exerted, acts in influencing the potential energy. QuestionsQuestion 1What is the relationship between the force applied to the spring and the displacement of the spring?

As shown by the graph for force against displacement, the relationship between the two is linear. This means that as the force applied increases so does the displacement of the spring. Question 2What things can be varied to change the period, T, of your oscillating system?Mass and spring constant are the things to be varied as shown by the equation.Question 3Find the period given the following:m=.055 kgk=3.36 kgs2T=2πm/k =20.055 kg3.36kgs2=20.0163 s2=2(0.128 s)=0.256 s=0.803 sCalculate the error realized from the experiment and state whether it was significant or notTtheoretical =0.

803 sTmeasured=0.798 s    % Error =(Tmeasured-Ttheoretical Ttheoretical) x 100%= (0.798 s-0.803 s0.803 s)100%(-0.005 s0.803 s)100%=(-0.00622)100%=-0.622%The error is insignificant confirming the accuracy of the experiment. References Loyd, D. H. (2008). Physics laboratory manual. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.