Finding the Spring Constant in a Vertical Mass-Spring System

AI Thread Summary
In a vertical mass-spring system experiment, the goal is to determine the spring constant (k) using the known mass and displacement. The force (F) in the equation F = -kx should be the gravitational force, calculated as 9.81 times the mass in kilograms. An alternative method to find k involves measuring the oscillation period, although this may not yield the same accuracy as using displacement. Understanding the balance between gravitational force and spring force is crucial for accurate calculations. The discussion emphasizes the importance of correctly identifying the force acting on the spring.
TN17
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Homework Statement



For an experiment, we used a vertical mass-spring system and we are trying to find k, the spring constant.
The only values we know are the mass and the displacement.

If we were to use F = -kx, what would F be? A website said it would be 9.8, but I'm not sure about that.
Is there another way to find the k?
 
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Hi TN17! :smile:
TN17 said:
If we were to use F = -kx, what would F be? A website said it would be 9.8, but I'm not sure about that.

Yes, you're balancing the force of gravity against the force of the spring.

So F has to be the force of gravity, which is 9.81 times the mass in kg. :wink:
Is there another way to find the k?
You could measure time of the oscillations instead of displacement but that probably couldn't be done to the same accuracy.
 

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