Understanding Springs - High School Physics
Card 0 of 5
A spring has a 
mass attached to one, which oscillates with a period of 
. What is the frequency?
A spring has a
The mass has no bearing on the relationship between frequency and period. This relationship is given by the equation:
Given the period, the frequency will be equal to its reciprocal.
The mass has no bearing on the relationship between frequency and period. This relationship is given by the equation:
Given the period, the frequency will be equal to its reciprocal.
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A spring with a spring constant of 
is compressed 
. How much potential energy has been generated?
A spring with a spring constant of
The formula for the potential energy in a spring is:
Use the given spring constant and displacement to solve for the stored energy.
The formula for the potential energy in a spring is:
Use the given spring constant and displacement to solve for the stored energy.
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A mass is placed at the end of a spring. It has a starting velocity of 
and is allowed to oscillate freely. If the mass has a starting velocity of 
, what would the period be?
A mass is placed at the end of a spring. It has a starting velocity of
When it comes to the period of a spring, the velocity of the object has no effect.
The equation is 
.
When it comes to the period of a spring, the velocity of the object has no effect.
The equation is
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A spring is attached to a mass, oscillating freely in simple harmonic motion. What change can be made to increase the period of the oscillation?
A spring is attached to a mass, oscillating freely in simple harmonic motion. What change can be made to increase the period of the oscillation?
The equation for the period of a spring in simple harmonic motion is:
In this formula, 
is the mass and 
is the spring constant. The only two things we can adjust that can change the period, then, are the mass and spring constant. The length of the spring and the acceleration due to gravity are irrelevant.
If we increase the mass we get a larger numerator, which in turns will give us a larger period. If we decrease the mass we get a smaller numerator, which would give us a smaller period. If we use a higher spring constant we get a larger denominator, which also gives us a smaller period.
The equation for the period of a spring in simple harmonic motion is:
In this formula,
If we increase the mass we get a larger numerator, which in turns will give us a larger period. If we decrease the mass we get a smaller numerator, which would give us a smaller period. If we use a higher spring constant we get a larger denominator, which also gives us a smaller period.
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What does the negative sign indicate in the equation below?
What does the negative sign indicate in the equation below?
The correct answer is that the force acts in the opposite direction of the displacement.
The equation given is Hooke's law, which is used to determine spring force based on the spring constant, 
, and the displacement of the spring, 
.Negative and downward are arbitrary, and spring constants are always positive. If a spring is stretched or compressed in a given direction, the force of the spring will always act opposite the direction of the displacement in order to return the spring to the resting equilibrium position.
The correct answer is that the force acts in the opposite direction of the displacement.
The equation given is Hooke's law, which is used to determine spring force based on the spring constant,
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