Mass on a spring Please respond ly

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the mechanics of a mass oscillating on a spring, emphasizing the relationship between tension, weight, and energy transfer. When a mass is attached, the gravitational force (mg) initially exceeds the tension (T), causing downward motion. As the mass descends, tension increases and eventually surpasses weight, resulting in upward motion. This cycle continues, demonstrating that acceleration is directly proportional to displacement and directed towards the equilibrium point. Energy conversion between elastic potential energy and kinetic energy is critical in understanding the oscillatory motion.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Familiarity with Hooke's Law (F_{spring} = -kx)
  • Knowledge of energy conservation principles, particularly kinetic and potential energy
  • Basic concepts of oscillatory motion and equilibrium
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principles of harmonic motion in detail
  • Learn about the effects of damping in oscillatory systems
  • Explore the mathematical derivation of oscillation frequency for mass-spring systems
  • Investigate real-world applications of oscillatory motion in engineering and physics
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators teaching mechanics, and engineers involved in designing oscillatory systems will benefit from this discussion.

saltrock
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Mass on a spring!Please respond urgently !

When the mass is attached on one end of the string , it oscillates.with refrence to the tension and weight,explain why it oscillates.
ans: *when the mass it attached then mg> T so it goes down
* when it goes down then T>mg so it goes up and repeats the same process...

please help me write a good answer for this.
 
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it won't oscillate until you start it with an input of energy and then it vibrates until energy dissipated to the surroundings, e.g. by damping (due to fluid resistance etc)
Just state that acceleration is directly proportional to displacement and is always towards an equiilbrium point.

Not sure if this helps tho.
 
saltrock said:
When the mass is attached on one end of the string , it oscillates.with refrence to the tension and weight,explain why it oscillates.
ans: *when the mass it attached then mg> T so it goes down
* when it goes down then T>mg so it goes up and repeats the same process...

please help me write a good answer for this.

I think what you were getting at here is also good to add. Because [itex]F_{spring}=-kx[/itex], where k is the spring constant and x is the displacement from equilibrium, the force exerted by the spring on the mass increases as the spring is compressed or extended. Also consider that elastic potential energy (due to the spring) and kinetic energy are constantly interconverted during the oscillations, with max kinetic energy (and therefore max velocity) occurring when the mass passes the equilibrium point, because there elastic potential energy is zero.
 

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