What is Spring Mass System?

A spring-mass system in simple terms can be described as a spring sytem where a block is hung
or attached at the free end of the spring. The spring-mass system can usually be used to find the
period of any object performing the simple harmonic motion. The spring-mass system can also
be used in a wide variety of applications. For instance, spring-mass system can be used to
simulate the motion of human tendons using computer graphics as well as foot skin deformation.

Differential equation of spring constant

At the equilibrium position the spring is relaxed. When the block is displaced through a distance
x towards right, it experiences a net restoring force F = -kx towards left.

The negative sign shows that the restoring force is always opposite to the displacement. That is,
when x is positive, F is negative, the force is directed to the left. When x is negative, F is
positive, the force is directed to the right. Thus, the force always tends to restore the block to its
equilibrium position x = 0.

F = -kx

Applying Newton’s Second Law,

d2y
F =m = −kx
dt 2

d2y k
+ x=0
dt 2 m

k
ω=
m
 d2y
∴ 2
+ ω 2 y = 0 ............................................(1)
dt

d2y
Here represents the acceleration of the particle. Equation (1) represents the differential
dt 2
equation of SHM. It also shows that in any phenomenon where an equation similar to equation
(1) is obtained, the body executes simple harmonic motion. Thus, the motion of a spring-mass
system is SHM.

How to Find the Time period of a Spring Mass System?

Spring Mass System

Step: 1. Find the mean position of the SHM (point at which Fnet = 0) in horizontal spring-mass
system

The natural length of the spring = is the position of the equilibrium point.

Step: 2. Displace the object by a small distance (x) from its equilibrium position (or) mean
position . The restoring force for the displacement ‘x’ is given as

F=-kx —–(1)

The acceleration of the body is given as a = F/m

Substituting the value of F from equa (1) we get

How Does Mass Affect the Period of a Spring?

Consider a spring with mass m with spring constant k, in a closed environment spring
demonstrates a simple harmonic motion.
T = 2π √m/k
From the above equation, it is clear that the period of oscillation is free from both gravitational
acceleration and amplitude. Also, a constant force cannot alter the period of oscillation.
Meanwhile, the time period is directly proportional to the mass of the body that is fixed to the
spring. When a heavy object is attached to it, it will oscillate more slowly.
Problem: A particle executing linear SHM has speeds v1 and v2 at distances y1 and y2 from the
equilibrium position. What is the frequency of the oscillation of the particle?
Problem 2: A block of mass 0.1 kg which slides without friction on a 30° incline is
connected to the top of the incline by a massless spring of force constant 40 Nm-1. If the
block is pulled slightly from its mean position what is the period of oscillation?

Problem: A spring of stiffness constant k and natural length l is cut into two parts of length
(3/4)l and (l/4), respectively, and an arrangement is made as shown in the figure. If the mass is
slightly displaced, find the time period of oscillation.

Effective mass (spring–mass system)

The effective mass of the spring in a spring-mass system when using an ideal spring of
uniform linear density is 1/3 of the mass of the spring and is independent of the direction of the
spring-mass system (i.e., horizontal, vertical, and oblique systems all have the same effective
mass). This is because external acceleration does not affect the period of motion around the
equilibrium point.
The effective mass of the spring can be determined by finding its kinetic energy. This requires
adding all the mass elements' kinetic energy, and requires the following integral, where u is the
velocity of mass element:
 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
Since the spring is uniform, 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = � � 𝑚𝑚, where L is the length of the spring at the time of
𝐿𝐿
measuring the speed. Hence,

The velocity of each mass element of the spring is directly proportional to length from the
position where it is attached (if near to the block then more velocity and if near to the ceiling
𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣
then less velocity), i.e. 𝑢𝑢 = from which it follows:
𝐿𝐿

1 𝑚𝑚
= 𝑣𝑣 2
2 3
1
Comparing to the expected original kinetic energy formula 𝑚𝑚𝑣𝑣 2 the effective mass of spring in
2
this case is m/3. Using this result, the total energy of system can be written in terms of the
displacement y from the spring's unstretched position (ignoring constant potential terms and
taking the upwards direction as positive):
1 𝑚𝑚 1 1
Total energy, E = 𝑣𝑣 2 + 𝑀𝑀𝑣𝑣 2 + 𝑘𝑘𝑦𝑦 2
2 3 2 2

1 𝑚𝑚 𝑑𝑑𝑦𝑦 2 1 𝑑𝑑𝑦𝑦 2 1 2
= � � + 𝑀𝑀 � � + 𝑘𝑘𝑦𝑦
2 3 𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 2 𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 2
1 𝑚𝑚 𝑑𝑑𝑦𝑦 2 1 2
= ( + 𝑀𝑀) � � + 𝑘𝑘𝑦𝑦
2 3 𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 2
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
By differentiation of the equation with respect to time, = 0, thus, the equation of motion is:
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

1 𝑚𝑚 𝑑𝑑𝑦𝑦 𝑑𝑑 2 𝑦𝑦 1 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
� + 𝑀𝑀� 2. + 𝑘𝑘2𝑦𝑦 =0
2 3 𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 2 2 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝑚𝑚 𝑑𝑑 2 𝑦𝑦 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
� + 𝑀𝑀� + 𝑘𝑘𝑦𝑦 = 0 [Dividing by ]
3 𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 2 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

𝑑𝑑2 𝑦𝑦 𝑘𝑘
2
= − 𝑚𝑚 𝑦𝑦
𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 � + 𝑀𝑀�
3
𝑘𝑘
∴ 𝜔𝜔 = � 𝑚𝑚
� + 𝑀𝑀�
3
𝑚𝑚
2𝜋𝜋 � 3 +𝑀𝑀�
Time period, 𝑇𝑇 = = 2𝜋𝜋�
𝜔𝜔 𝑘𝑘

If the spring become mass-less, then, m = 0, and hence

2𝜋𝜋 𝑀𝑀
𝑇𝑇 = = 2𝜋𝜋� .
𝜔𝜔 𝑘𝑘
So the effective mass of the spring added to the mass of the load gives us the "effective total
𝑚𝑚
mass" of the system that must be used in the standard formula 2𝜋𝜋� to determine the period of
𝑘𝑘
oscillation.
Torsional Pendulum

A torsional pendulum consists of a rigid body suspended by a light wire or spring (Figure).
When the body is twisted some small maximum angle (Θ) and released from rest, the body
oscillates between (θ=+Θ) and (θ=−Θ). The restoring torque is supplied by the shearing of the
string or wire.

Figure 1 A torsional pendulum consists of a rigid body suspended by a string or wire. The rigid
body oscillates between θ=+Θ and θ=−Θ.

The restoring torque can be modeled as being proportional to the angle:

τ = −κθ.

The variable kappa (κ) is known as the torsion constant of the wire or string. The minus sign
shows that the restoring torque acts in the opposite direction to increasing angular displacement.

The net torque is equal to the moment of inertia times the angular acceleration:

This equation says that the second time derivative of the position (in this case, the angle) equals a
negative constant times the position. This looks very similar to the equation of motion for the
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 2 𝑘𝑘 𝑚𝑚
SHM =− 𝑥𝑥, where the period was found to be 𝑇𝑇 = 2𝜋𝜋� . Therefore, the period of the
𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 2 𝑚𝑚 𝑘𝑘
torsional pendulum can be found using
𝐼𝐼
𝑇𝑇 = 2𝜋𝜋�
𝑘𝑘
The units for the torsion constant are [κ]=N-m=(kgm/s2)m=kgm2/s2 and the units for the moment
of inertial are [I]=kg-m2, which show that the unit for the period is the second.
Problem: A pendulum clock works by measuring the period of a pendulum. In the springtime
the clock runs with perfect time, but in the summer and winter the length of the pendulum
changes. When most materials are heated, they expand. Does the clock run too fast or too slow in
the summer? What about the winter?

Solution

𝐿𝐿
The period of the pendulum is 𝑇𝑇 = 2𝜋𝜋�
𝑔𝑔

In summer, the length increases, and the period increases. If the period should be one second, but
period is longer than one second in the summer, it will oscillate fewer than 60 times a minute and
clock will run slow. In the winter it will run fast.
Problem:

λ is the mass per unit length of the

d