Spring oscillator
Feel the interplay between restoring force and inertia.
The spring's restoring force always points toward the equilibrium position. The greater the mass, the slower the oscillation; the stiffer the spring, the faster the oscillation. Kinetic energy and elastic potential energy continually convert into each other.
Displacement vs. time
Think about it
Does increasing the amplitude change the period of a spring oscillator?
Not in the ideal Hooke's-law model. The period is determined only by the mass m and the spring constant k; the amplitude changes only the energy and the maximum speed.
Model assumptionsHorizontal, frictionless · ideal massless spring · obeys Hooke's law
Data log
Set the parameters and click “Record data”. Record several rows with different parameters to plot their relationship and fit a straight line; pause and record at different times to study how a reading changes with time.