Mass on a Spring

The Mass On A Spring Video Tutorial describes the manner in which force, speed, acceleration, position, and kinetic and potential energies change over the course of the back-and-forth vibrational cycle of a mass on a spring. Both horizontal and vertical springs are addressed. Free-body diagrams, vector diagrams, position-time plots, velocity-time plots, and energy bar charts are among the representations that are presented in the video.

The video lesson answers the following questions:

How does the force, acceleration, speed, position, and kinetic and potential energy of a vibrating mass on a spring change over the course of a cycle?

Video

You can watch the video below, or click here to watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab).

To improve the effectiveness of the learning experience, The Physics Classroom has provided the following tools:

Additional and Related Learning Tools

Concept Builders: Vibrational Motion,Vibrating Mass on a Horizontal Spring - Velocity and Force
Students love Concept Builders! And they help. Give yourself the essential check for understanding as the video and this Concept Builder were designed to be paired together.

Concept Builders: Vibrational Motion,Vibrating Mass on a Vertical Spring - Velocity and Force
This Concept Builder is similar to the above one ... except the spring is vertical.

Concept Builders: Vibrational Motion, Energy of a Vibrating Mass on a Spring
This Concept Builder covers all things energy when it comes to springs - both vertical and horizontal.

Concept Builders: Vibrational Motion, Period and Frequency of a Mass on a Spring
Need to put to practice your ideas on the topic of period and frequency for a vibrating mass on a spring? Give this one a try!

Physics Classroom Tutorial: Vibrations and Waves Chapter, Lesson 0 - Motion of a Mass on a Spring
Our written tutorial pages provide a thorough, easy-to-understand, common-sense approach to Physics topics. This particular page addresses the same topics covered in the video. As such, it makes a great reference for a quick check-up or clarification of an idea.

Teacher Resources

Curriculum Corner: Wave Motion
We will admit ... it's a bit early for Waves. But if that's a topic that is coming up after vibrational motion, then you might wish to inspect what we have now in our Curriculum Corner section. This is free curriculum for the taking. And for a few extra bucks, you can obtain the source documents and purchase a license to place them and any deriviative from them on your course management pages.

Physics Interactives: Vibrating Mass on a Spring Simulator
This simulation allows students to change a variable (mass, initial position, spring constant, damping coefficient, etc.) and view the effects upon the motion of a vibrating mass on a spring.

Concept Builders: Vibrational Motion,Vibrating Mass on a Horizontal Spring - Velocity and Force
Concept Builders provide great practice for students. Questions are randomly delivered. Answers are evaluated. And for those with Task Tracker account, progress results are stored in our database. Here's great practice on velocity and force for a horizontal spring

Concept Builders: Vibrational Motion,Vibrating Mass on a Vertical Spring - Velocity and Force
This Concept Builder is similar to the above one ... except the spring is vertical.

Concept Builders: Vibrational Motion, Energy of a Vibrating Mass on a Spring
This Concept Builder covers all things energy when it comes to springs - both vertical and horizontal.

Concept Builders: Vibrational Motion, Period and Frequency of a Mass on a Spring
Here is a final Concept Builder that will provide a check of understanding of the concepts of period and frequency with specific applications to a vibrating mass on a spring. Encourage students to give it a try. Have a Task Tracker account? Add this to your assignment board.

The Calculator Pad: Vibrations and Waves, Problem Set WM3
The Calculator Pad features practice problems with immediate feedback and links to audio help and tutorial pages. In Problem Set WM3, students use the period and frequency formulae on Slide 11 to solve for an unknown. Great practice! And with a Task Tracker account, you can make it an assignment and check on student results.

Science Reasoning Center: Vibrations and Waves
Our Science Reasoning Center is the perfect place to find that activity that upgrades the level of critical thinking, data analysis, model-building, and careful reading. This is where Process is king and content is just the medium. Get students thinking and reasoning at the Science Reasoning Center. We have some activities on pendulum motion and vibrating masses on springs.

Lesson Notes

Download (opens in a new tab) or view below

Slides

Do you like the slides we used? They are available in our low cost Teacher Presentation Pack, along with other updated materials used in our presentation.