Finding how weight placed on a ruler affects its oscillation.

[1NS4N3 4ZN]

Homework Statement

I'm currently having a bit of trouble figuring out how to most effectively execute my experiment. It's somewhat practical; I need to find how the masses placed on the end of a vibrating ruler will affect its oscillation.

I know that the ruler is a standard 12 inch (30.5 cm) ruler, with 20 centimeters hanging off the edge of a desk, and that I have several weights for my use (weights range from 5g-50g)

Homework Equations

I have no idea.

The Attempt at a Solution

My idea was to simply tape the weights to the end of the ruler using lightweight scotch tape, and bending the ruler down approximately 1-2 inches from its equilibrium position, and timing how long it takes for the ruler to reach its equilibrium position at 4 or 5 different weights. Is this the most accurate way to determine how weights affects time of oscillation?

 

[Delphi51]

I suspect the motion will go like this Wikipedia graph for damped harmonic motion:

The measurement you suggest would be the time for the oscillations to die out.

I think it would be more interesting to measure the frequency or period of the oscillations within the overall exponential decay damping curve (dashed line). Unfortunately I can't think of an easy way to measure those. Have you got a digital camera with a video mode - if so, you may be able to video it along with a stopwatch and then watch in slow motion to see the period or count the number of oscillations in a measured time.