Calculating Amplitude of Mass on Spring on Frictionless Surface

Thread starter tdash
Start date Dec 10, 2010
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Amplitude Frictionless Frictionless surface Mass Spring Surface

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To calculate the amplitude of a mass attached to a spring on a frictionless surface, one can use the principle of conservation of energy. Given the initial position and velocity, the total mechanical energy at time zero can be determined. This energy is conserved and can be expressed in terms of potential energy in the spring and kinetic energy of the mass. By setting the total energy equal to the potential energy at maximum amplitude, the amplitude can be solved. Using these principles allows for an accurate calculation of the amplitude in this system.

Dec 10, 2010

tdash

mass attached to spring on horizontal frictionless surface. given: position x at time zero, velocity at time zero (not equal to zero), spring constant, and mass. how do I figure out the amplitude?

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Dec 10, 2010

tiny-tim

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welcome to pf!

hi tdash! welcome to pf!

tdash said:

how do I figure out the amplitude?

try conservation of energy

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