Investigating Mass & Period Relationship: Slope Meaning?

[MJC8719]

Hi,

We have been working on a lab that dealt with oscillations and simple harmonic motion. We attached two springs to an air cart, placed it on an air track, and released a distance of 10cm from the equilibirum point. To investigate the relationship between mass and the period, we added 50 g masses to the cart and performed various trials and timed the period.

We then were instructed to graph the m vs T^2 with m being the total mass and T^2 being the time of the period squared. My question is, what does the slope of this line represent. The line increases linerly, and i believe that the relevant equation is
T of period = 2pi SwRt(m/k)...or is it k/m...i can't remember right now as I am at work...

but anyways...what could the slope of the line represent...i first thought it might be the spring constant...but I do not believe that is correct anymore...

any ideas would be greatly appreciated

 

[Kurdt]

Remember the equation of a straight line y = ax + b, where m is the gradient or the slope. If y = m and x = T² then what is a?

Hint: Try rearranging your period equation.