Nicholas Williams

MATH 1080
Prof. Thorne
26 October 2015

Mass Spring Systems

There are many examples of mass spring systems that we use in everyday life. Examples
like shocks in a vehicle, bungee jumping cords, trampolines, and the springs in a mattress shows
how important a system like this can be. It also shows how important it is to have a firm
understanding of the mechanics behind it. It is of the upmost importance to know the amplitude,
period, and other factors of a mass spring system in examples like these, because without that
they would not function correctly. We would not get the correct firmness of the mattresses,
bungee jumping cords would not be safe, and the shocks in a vehicle would not correctly prevent
it from getting broken or damaged from road conditions. This shows how important it is that we
not only use mass spring systems in real life, but to make sure we do it correctly. This project did
change the way I see trigonometry in real life, as well. Before I understood that it was used
occasionally when trying to measure angles, or to do with construction of buildings. However,
now I see that trig can be used in a multitude of ways that I never even thought of, and I am sure
there are more ways it applies to my everyday life. Trigonometry is very important in many
facets of life, and having an understanding of it can help you better understand the world. After
all, if you didnt know the correct length of a bungie jumping cord, and didnt know how long it

would be after the spring is displaced, you would fall flat to the ground because you incorrectly
calculated it. Life is full of examples of mathematics, and trig is a big factor of this.