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Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to investigate the relationship between the mass and period of a spring oscillator

by using graphical analysis. Background: Period of a spring oscillator = spring constant) Materials: y SMART Timer y Set of graduated brass weights y Photogate y Inertial Balance Procedure: 1) Turn on SMART timer and configure settings to measure the period of pendulum. Record time measurements for time displacement of a period of each weight. 2) Plot the masses of the weights versus respective periods on a graphing calculator; draw the best line fit and perform a quadratic regression analysis to determine the slope of the line. 3) Measure the period of the unknown mass. Interpolate mass of the object using calculated mass/period relationship. Data: Trial Mass (kg) 0.02 1 2 3 Average Trial Mass (kg) 0.05 1 2 3 Average Time (s) 0.2740 0.2805 0.2719 0.2755 Time (s) 0.3183 0.3101 0.3117 0.3134

(m = mass in kg, k =

y y y y

C-clamp Ring stand TI Graphing Calculator Weight of unknown mass

Trial Mass (kg) 0.10 1 2 3 Average Trial Mass (kg) 0.20 1 2 3 Average Trial Mass (kg) 0.50 1 2 3 Average

Time (s) 0.3800 0.3826 0.3727 0.3784 Time (s) 0.4783 0.4701 0.4698 0.4727 Time (s) 0.7316 0.7279 0.7297 0.7297

Trial Mass (kg) Time (s) Sphere 1 0.5241 2 0.5297 3 0.5271 Average 0.5270 Mass: 0.254kg (Actual: 0.2463kg) Trial Mass (kg) Time (s) Iron Filings 1 0.6560 2 0.6598 3 0.6578 Average 0.7297 Mass: 0.407kg (Actual: 0.543kg) Trial Mass (kg) Time (s) Duracell D Battery 1 0.4223 2 0.4247 3 0.4206 Average 0.4225 Mass: 0.147kg (Actual: 0.1444kg)

Trial Mass (kg) Time (s) Brass 1 0.4466 2 0.4543 3 0.4498 Average 0.4502 Mass: 0.1740kg (Actual: 0.1748kg) Observations: The period of the weights increased proportionally to increases in mass. Analysis: %ErrorSphere: 3.1% %ErrorIron Filings: 25.00% %ErrorBattery: 1.80% %ErrorBrass: 0.46% %ErrorAverage: 7.59% Variations in the amount of force applied to the oscillator may have led to somewhat inaccurate period measurements, but the most egregious contributor to the percent error of the lab can be attributed to the oscillation of the iron filings causing shifts in weight. Conclusion: The unknown masses were estimated by using a quadratic regression of best fit to create a stat plot of time versus mass. The quadratic regression revealed a direct relationship between mass and period length of oscillation.

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