Name: Section Date

FACTORS AFFECTING THE FREQUENCY OF A

SIMPLE HARMONIC OSCILLATOR

PROBLEM To investigate the dependence of the frequency of oscillation on the following physical
quantities: amplitude, initial velocity, spring constant and mass.

MATERIALS AF1301.swf , media viewer.swf, masses-and-springs-en.html, spreadsheet

ONLINE RESOURCES Masses and Springs PhET simulation: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/masses-and-

springs/latest/masses-and-springs_en.html

Flash player for Windows/Macintosh (Download : Flash Player Projector Content Debugger)
https://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/debug_downloads.html

PROCEDURE

Frequency and 1. Open AF_1301.swf using the Flash Player for Windows/Macintosh.
Amplitude of 2. Set the following parameters: k =1 unit , initial velocity v = 0, and the initial position
Oscillation x = 30.
3. Run the simulation by clicking on the start button. Describe the graph-line formed.

4. Using a stopwatch, determine the time it takes to make 10 complete oscillations.

Compute for the period and the frequency of oscillation. Make two trials.

Time for 10 complete oscillations Period Frequency

Trial 1 Trial 2 Ave.

5. Using k = 1, and initial velocity v = 0, reset the initial position to x = 75 units. Run the
simulation. Describe the graph-line formed. Compare this graph to the graph in no. 3.

6. Using a stopwatch, determine the time it takes to make 10 complete oscillations.

Compute for the frequency and the period of oscillation. Make 2 trials.

Time for 10 complete oscillations Period Frequency

Trial 1 Trial 2 Ave.

QUESTIONS:

1. What does the initial position of the block represent?

2. How does the frequency of oscillation depend on the initial position of the oscillator?
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Frequency and 1. Set the initial position x = 75 units , initial velocity v = 0 and k = 0.1 units. Run the
Spring Constant simulation. Determine the frequency of oscillation.

frequency = __________

2. Keeping the initial position x to 75 units and the initial velocity v = 0, repeat (1) for
different values of k ( k = 0.1, 0.2 0.4, 0.9, 1.6, 2).

Spring constant k Frequency of Oscillation

0.1
0.2
0.4
1.6
2.0

3. Using a spreadsheet, plot the values of the frequency against the values of the spring
constant. Describe the graph formed.

4. Plot the values of f2 against the values of k. What kind of graph was formed?

QUESTION:

What does the graph of f2 against k suggest about the relationship between the frequency
and the spring constant? Explain

Frequency and Initial 1. Set the value of k to 1 unit , the initial position x = 0 and the initial velocity to 10.44
Velocity units. Run the simulation. Determine the frequency of oscillation.

frequency of oscillation = __________

2. Keeping the values of k and x constant, set the initial velocity v to 23.72. Determine
the frequency of oscillation

frequency of oscillation = __________

QUESTION:

Does the frequency of oscillation depend on the initial velocity of the oscillator? Explain.

Frequency and Mass 1. Open the masses-and-springs-en.html. Click on the “Lab” tab

2. Set the following parameters:

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Damping = none
Simulation = slow
Spring constant = large
Environment = Earth

3. Enable the mass equilibrium indicator and the movable line tool by selecting them.

4. Set the mass of the object to 50-g. Position the ruler so that the 0-cm mark coincides
with the equilibrium position of the object. Move the movable line indicator to the 30-
cm mark. This will be the starting position (amplitude of oscillation) of the 50-g mass.
Release the 50-g mass and determine the time (using the built-in timer) it takes to
complete ten oscillations.

5. Repeat (4) for the following mass of the object. m = 100g, 150 g, 200 g, and 250 g.
Enter your data in the table below.

Mass m Time for ten oscillations Frequency

(grams)
Trial 1 Trial 2 Average
50
100
150
200
250

6. Plot the values of the frequency against the values of the mass. Describe the graph
formed.

7. Plot the values of f2 against the values of 1/m. What is the shape of the graph?

QUESTIONS:

• What happens to the frequency of oscillation as the mass of the oscillator increases?

• What does the graph of f2 against 1/m suggest about the relationship between f and
m? Explain.

CONCLUSION(S)

GOING FURTHER In the simulation, the mass of the blue and the red weights are not known. Develop a
procedure (using the simulation) on how to determine the masses of these objects.
Name: Section Date