Can a mass-spring system oscillate in zero gravity?

[DanicaK]

Is it possible to have mass - spring oscillation in speace ( i.e. zero gravity )?

 

[kuruman]

Of course it is. Consider a spring mass system on a frictionless horizontal plane. Gravity is canceled by the normal force and the system oscillates just fine. If you stretch the spring and before you let go you also give some initial velocity perpendicular to the spring, you get two-dimensional oscillations. In free space, in general, you get three-dimensional oscillations.

 

[DanicaK]

Tnx!