Johnson

Zhou
Introduction

I’ve always been fascinated by the ability of mathematics to describe physics, and the physical
phenomena in particular. The fact that particles and objects all follow exactly as mathematical
equations dictate is very fascinating. In particular, how the use of complex mathematics, could help
solve complex physics, and chaotic motion. I’ve been to bungee jumping, observed many and did a
number of my own. I found the aftermath motion of the jumper especially interesting to model
mathematically. The bungee jumper’s motion constitutes that of a damped spring pendulum setup.
The study of which, would require solving differential equation. Thereby, I’ve challenged myself to
such a task. I would like to explicitly find the differential equation, be able to find a solution and
use an equation to describe the motion of such a setup.

Rationale
I’ve chosen this topic because the strong correlation of this problem with physics. I’d like to be able
to use mathematics, as a strong tool to help me analyze and solve physical situations. The physics of
the spring pendulum problem is complex and hard to be solved intuitively, and I’d like to use
mathematics to my advantage. I’ve been to bungee jumping before and found the motion constitute
two intertwined simple harmonic motion on two axes. In physics lab, I’ve also played around with a
spring-mass setup. I was fascinated by the controlled chaos that the system undergoes. The spring-
pendulum problem is also very easily replicable in a lab environment. This allows me to collect data
easily, and thus focus more on the mathematical aspect of the problem.

Aim
The aim of this investigation is to model mathematically the problem of a spring pendulum. That is,
specifically, a pendulum problem with the string replaced by a spring. The investigation could be
further broken down into sub portions. I’d like to write a differential equation, with which an initial
condition could produce a solution, describing the chaotic motion of the spring pendulum.
Furthermore, I’d like to confirm my results with experimental data, and take into account the
damping of the strings to further align my mathematical model with a real world setup. I’d also like
to solve the problems from a more physics-oriented approach, using the Lagrangian instead of
solving differential equations.

1
 Johnson Zhou
Methodology
Theory:
To effectively describe the motion of a spring pendulum, I would need to deduce mathematically an
equation describing the motion of the oscillator in a spring pendulum setup.
From the principle of the Conservation of energy, we can use the Lagrangian mechanics in Physics
to arrive at a differential equation. The differential equation, therefore, could be solved or analysed
to produce solution.
The differential equation would have two functions, 𝜃(𝑡) and 𝑟(𝑡), using polar coordinate system to
represent the position of the oscillator. This choice is due to the convenience that the polar system
provides in a rotary system like a spring pendulum.
The solution would have a number of variables representing how the initial condition of the spring
pendulum setup. The initial location and speed would require four values to represent. The initial
speed 𝜃& & 𝑟& and the initial position 𝜃& & 𝑟& . In addition, to make the expression independent of
the frame of reference, I introduced 𝜃' & 𝑟' to represent the equilibrium position.

Collection of Data:
To investigate the motion of a spring pendulum setup, I need to perform an experiment to verify my
equation describing the motion of a spring pendulum. I’ve followed a set of procedures to ensure
accurate collection of data.
I opted to use a polar coordinate system, to express the initial conditions of the spring pendulum
setup to record all independent variables that might have an effect on the oscillator’s motion. Just as
shown in the theory section, there are six values concerning the initial condition of the oscillator.
To record data in the experiment conducted, I would use a camera fixated to provide a horizontal
view of the entire setup. After I recorded the video, I would use Vernier’s Logger Pro software to
convert the video into a data set with position against time.
To verify my theory, I would plot my predicted trajectory deduced in theory against my actual
experimental data. To measure the success of the trajectory, I would calculate the regression value
𝑅) , which represents how well the theoretical modeling matches with actual experimental data.