Training for research

School of physics, Faculty of sciences

Universidad Industrial de Santander
Building the Future

STUDY OF OSCILLATIONS OF THE MASS

SYSTEM - SPRING AND ANALYSIS OF
DAMPED OSCILLATIONS IN A SIMPLE
PENDULUM WITH PHET SIMULATOR1
Mónica Lizeth Ávila Mora. 2195138 – Chemical Engineering.
Wilson Andrés Jaimes Padilla. 2195097 – Civil Engineering.
Kiara Yanecsy Torrejano Ibáñez. 2195118 – Industrial Engineering.

In physics words and formulas are connected to the real world.

Richard Feynman

Summary
Oscillations are physical phenomena whose principles and foundations are the same in all types of
mechanical systems regardless of their complexity. In the present practice we have used the systems that
although they are simple are representatives par excellence the simple harmonic movements and damped
the mass spring system and the simple pendulum respectively. To carry out this experimental PhET
simulator is used in each part, starting with that of the mass-spring system. Its behavior was studied
ignoring any type of friction resulting in a simple harmonic motion, the initial elongation distance and
oscillation periods of the system were experimentally measured in order to determine analytically the
spring elastic constants since their value was not indicated in the simulation. In the second part of using a
simple pendulum with friction simulator, small values were taken at the initial amplitude angles in order
that the behavior of this system will comply with that of a damped harmonic movement, a record of the

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Research report subgroup A, group C1, presented to Professor Arbey Alexis Paez Roa in the Physics Laboratory III
course. Date: April 12, 2021.
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School of physics, Faculty of sciences
Universidad Industrial de Santander
Building the Future

change in attitude with respect to the elapsed time was made in order to calculate analytically the damping
coefficient of the system.

INTRODUCTION
In order to understand the nature of oscillatory phenomena, it is necessary to realize their simplest
cases, the simple harmonic movement (MAS) of the mass-spring system and the approximation to it given
by a simple pendulum. This research project is divided into two parts. The first one will be solved with the
PhET simulator "Masses and spring: intro". Here we will observe the relationship between the oscillation
period and the mass. In the second part the PhET simulator "pendulum lab" will be used to observe the
simple harmonic motion in the presence of friction. This report seeks to verify the dependence of the
oscillation period of a system spring mass to vary the mass and the elastic constant of the spring.

METHODOLOGY
Phase 1: initially the simulator PhET of masses and springs was used, first several parameters were
fixed such as the constant of the spring, which remained invariable during the data collection, the damping
was eliminated and a total of 8 different values of mass were chosen, ensuring that the jumps between
the masses are constant.

Subsequently have the spring with some of the chosen masses and define the equilibrium position of
the system. This was possible thanks to a software option called Mass equilibrium after it was measured
distance between this point and the natural length which is visualized in the simulator thanks to the
Natural length button, this value obtained it was recorded in Table 1 of the worksheet.

The simulation is started, with the help of the stopwatch integrated in the program the total time of 10
oscillations is measured, this process is repeated a total of 3 times and the average between these is
calculated in order to obtain the value of the experimental period. This process is repeated with the other
seven masses chosen.

Figure 1: PhET mass and spring simulator.

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Source: Authors of the report.

Phase 2: We used another simulator of the same platform called Pendulum lab. in the same way as in
the previous part we established the initial values of the experiment, such as the length of the pendulum,
the friction and the initial Angle. In addition, three different mass values were made.

One of the masses is placed at the end of the pendulum and the Angle of the initial inclination is
entered, after starting the simulation and with the help of the stopwatch integrated in the program the
time in which the period ends is measured, recording a value of the amplitude at the end of each
oscillation, this procedure is repeated 10 times and the values are noted in table 2 of the worksheet.
Finally, the same procedure of the previous step is performed with the remaining masses.

Figure 2: PhET Pendulum lab simulator.

Source: Authors of the report.

DATA PROCESSING.
In the following table are the values of the masses used in the 10 measurements of the first part of the
laboratory, the respective spring elongation corresponding to the initial amplitude of the movement on
each occasion and finally the values of the 3 measured periods and their average, the experimental period.

Table 1: Check Hooke's law, mass vs spring deformation and its dependence on its oscillation period, T
is the time of a number of N oscillations.

Mass [𝑘𝑔] ∆𝑦 [𝑚] 𝑇1 [𝑠] 𝑇2 [𝑠] 𝑇3 [𝑠] 𝑇𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚

[𝑠]

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0.08 0.16 0.798 0.797 0.798 0.7977

0.11 0.22 0.935 0.934 0.931 0.9333
0.14 0.27 1.0521 1.051 1.051 1.0510
0.17 0.33 1.168 1.175 1.170 1.1710
0.20 0.39 1.268 1.272 1.272 1.2707
0.23 0.45 1.350 1.348 1.351 1.3497
0.26 0.51 1.436 1.437 1.438 1.4370
0.29 0.57 1.517 1.516 1.519 1.5173
Source: Authors of the report.

The following table shows the data obtained in the second part of the laboratory, in which the
oscillations of a simple pendulum with the presence of a damping force were studied. For each mass was
measured the period of 10 oscillations whose amplitude Angle decreases with time.

Table 2: Analysis of the damped motion in a simple pendulum with length L.

Mass 1: 0.5 [𝑘𝑔] Mass 2: 1 [𝑘𝑔] Mass 3: 1.5 [𝑘𝑔]

Time [𝑠] Amplitude Time [𝑠] Amplitude Time [𝑠] Amplitude
[°] [°] [°]
0 14 0 14 0 14
2.05 12 2.01 13 2.03 13
4.02 10 4.03 11 4.07 12
6.07 9 6.06 10 6.13 11
8.09 8 8.09 9 8.20 10
10.09 7 10.11 9 10.21 9
12.10 6 12.13 8 12.37 8
14.11 5 14.15 7 14.41 7
16.12 4.5 16.17 7 16.47 7
18.12 4 18.18 6 18.48 6
Source: Authors of the report.

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS.
Hooke's law is used to calculate the theoretical value of k. |𝐹| = 𝑘∆𝑦, con |𝐹| = 𝑚𝑔.

So, multiplying each of the values of the column of masses by the constant of gravity gives a value of
the force in each case. When the graph (graph 1) places a ∆𝑦 on the horizontal axis and |𝐹| on the vertical
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axis, a linear trend curve is drawn whose slope corresponds to the theoretical value of the elastic constant
k according to Hooke's law.

Graph 1

F vs ∆y
3,000
y = 5,07606x - 0,02616

R² = 0,99999

2,000
F [N]

1,500

1,000
0,10 0,20 0,30 0,40 0,50 0,60

Source: Authors of the report.

Calculate the experimental value of the elastic k constant that is used in the equation with 𝜔𝑜 = √𝑘⁄𝑚
describing it in the formula equation of a line.
4𝜋2
𝑇2 = 𝑘
∗𝑚

Calculated k.
4𝜋2
𝑘 = 7.94670 = 4.96789 [N/m]

Finally, the error rate of the experimental value of each is calculated using the following formula.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒−𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒
%Error = | 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒
| ∗ 100%

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5.07606−4.96786
%𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = | |∗ 100%
5.07606

%𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = 2.1315%

In the second part for each more makes a graph of the amplitude value with respect to time
and a trend curve of exponential character will be entered in order to identify the value of ƴ.

Graph 2. Mass 1. Amplitude vs Time.

Amplitude vs Time
20

15
Amplitude [°]

10

5 y = -5,129ln(x) + 15,247
R² = 0,8566
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Time[s]

Source: Authors of the report.

Graph 3. Mass 2. Amplitude vs Time.

Amplitude vs Time
16
14
12
Amplitude[°]

10
8 y = -3,535ln(x) + 14,739
6 R² = 0,9682
4
2
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Time[s]

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Source: Authors of the report.

Graph 4. Mass 3. Amplitude vs Time.

AMPLITUDE VS TIME
16
14
12
Amplitude[°]

10
8 y = -3,625ln(x) + 15,175
6 R² = 0,9331
4
2
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Time[s]

Source: Authors of the report.

With respect to the first experiment it was noted that the period of movement does not depend on the
elongation distance of the spring, it depends on its elastic constant and the mass attached to it. In this case
the spring was the same, so the change of the period depends on the mass subject to it (the greater the
mass, the greater the period), in addition as the mass varies the equilibrium position will change as the
force exerted downwards will be greater, this is represented clearly in graph 1.

As for the calculation of the elastic constant mentioned, an error percentage of 2% was obtained, this
is because the time was taken manually, giving way to have small gaps in the measurements.

In the case of the second experiment, the period of motion does not depend on the mass hung on the
string, this can be noticed in the data table where they are very similar for each shot, in addition, from a
theoretical point of view, this period is inversely proportional to the angular frequency, which for
pendulums is equal to the square root of gravity over the length of the string.
Since friction exists, this movement is not perpetual, its amplitude decreases as time advances to a form
of exponential decay (see graphs 2, 3 and 4), which depends on the mass of the object and the damping
coefficient of the medium.

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As mentioned above, for the tests with each of the masses similar periods and amplitudes were
obtained, this caused the behavior of the movements to be very similar (see graphs 2,3 and 4), having a
small percentage of error since the shots were made manually and at the time of measuring the position
of each oscillation was a bit complicated since this value could not be accurately known.

With the above it was expected to have variations in the damping constants found.

CONCLUSIONS
In a simple harmonic movement (where friction is neglected), the period does not depend on the
distance the spring is stretched with respect to its resting point, but on the spring’s elastic constant and
the mass that is hanging from it.

In a damped motion (in the presence of friction), the period does not depend on the mass that hangs
on the pendulum, it depends on the gravity and the length of the string (the lower the faster it is will be
the motion), in addition the amplitude decrease will occur in an exponential way.

In treating different movements, it was observed that the behaviors studied are very similar to other
experiences worked in previous physics laboratories, reaffirming the close relationship between these
phenomena and the laws that govern them.

Working in a virtual laboratory made it much easier to measure the behavior of movements, giving
accurate results with a very low margin of error.

REFERENCES
SERWAY, R. A. (1992). PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS WITH MODERN PHYSICS / Raymond A.
Serway. Philadelphia : Saunders College Pub., 1992. Recuperado a partir de
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat00066a&AN=BUIS.1-
131923&lang=es&site=eds-live