ZealScience said:If you control the tension well, where it provides suitable centripetal force while creating enough upward component, then it would not oscillate. Because there is no vertical net force thereby remaining in equilibrium in vertical direction.
Can you explain why it will never actually be parallel to the floor and also the damping situation?JHamm said:You will find that after enough time your object will likely 'settle' on an angle from the horizontal inversely proportional to the angular velocity, you can see this by spinning your object slowly and observing that the object does not rise very much, but when spun quickly it will approach parallel to the floor, though it will never (no matter how fast you spin the string) actually be parallel. At first it may oscillate but the damping of the air will stop this eventually.
What do you mean by 'falling under the effect of gravity'? If the angle of the string is constant--the mass is moving in a horizontal circle--then the vertical component of the tension exactly counters gravity. There is no vertical acceleration. The net force on the mass will be centripetal.eurekameh said:If you have a mass on a string and you spin it in circular motion parallel to the plane of the horizontal floor, is the mass falling under the effect of gravity at all? Is it that during this circular motion, the mass falls a certain height and the tension in the string pulls it back up? Then wouldn't the mass be "oscillating" between falling and being pulled back up at that horizontal level?
spin what? the mass or the string? I understood the mass, because the sentence starts with "if you have a mass".If you have a mass on a string and you spin it in circular motion
A swinging mass on a string is an example of a simple pendulum, which consists of a mass attached to a string or rod that is suspended from a fixed point. The mass is able to swing back and forth due to the force of gravity acting on it.
A swinging mass on a string oscillates due to the interplay of two forces: the force of gravity and the tension in the string. As the mass swings back and forth, these forces cause it to accelerate towards the center point, then slow down and reverse direction, creating a repetitive oscillation.
The period (or time it takes for one complete oscillation) of a swinging mass on a string is affected by the length of the string, the mass of the object, and the strength of gravity. A longer string, heavier mass, and higher gravitational force will result in a longer period.
The amplitude, or maximum displacement from the center point, of a swinging mass on a string does not affect its period or oscillation. However, a larger amplitude will result in a greater distance traveled and a higher maximum speed during each oscillation.
The motion of a swinging mass on a string is an example of simple harmonic motion, which is a type of oscillation where the restoring force is proportional to the displacement from the equilibrium position. The motion of the mass can be described using the same equations and principles as other simple harmonic oscillators.