Why Is My Damped Oscillator Experiment So Challenging?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Darkplayer01
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Assignment Final
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the challenges faced in analyzing a damped oscillator experiment involving a weight and spring system. The user is frustrated with plotting time and force values, resulting in a sinusoidal graph, and struggles to relate this to a second-order differential equation to determine constants. They express difficulty in using Excel to derive a function from their data. A suggestion is made to search for resources on Damped Harmonic Motion for further assistance. The user also acknowledges posting in the wrong forum section and requests a moderator's help.
Darkplayer01
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Hello guys!

I'm REALLY and i mean REALLY frustrated due to the fact that i just can't solve this stupid assignment!

I did a experiment at school with a weight attached to a spring. The weight was then set to do some swings where it sink into some water, a so called damped oscillator. I know have some values for time (s) and the force (N). So i plotted my values and got a sinus graph.

and now the s****y part..

how can i compare this with a second order differential equation and determine the constants? When i plot the values and get a sinus graph i can't even get excel to give me a function.

This is my final assignment before getting graduated from senior high school (teh schoolsystem is a bit different here in DK)

btw here is a link with values: http://www.2shared.com/file/9887389/4cc70714/Values.html

Just found out that i have posted this in the wrong section, could moderator be so kind and move this to the correct section? And i do apologies for this.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
Well, you could do a Google search on Damped Harmonic Motion or Damped Harmonic Oscillator. I think you'll find something of value to you on Wikipedia.

I doubt that Excel knows about second order differential equations.
 
Last edited:

Thread 'Errors and significant figures'

I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
View full post »
Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
View full post »

Similar threads

Physics IA: Distance B/w Pendulum & Alum. Block, Finding Damping Coefficient
Replies
9
Views
2K
Investigating Unexpected Results in Elementary Experiment
Replies
35
Views
4K
Damped Harmonic Oscillator and Resonance
Replies
9
Views
7K
Approximating Damped Oscillator Time Period and Frequency with Large n
Replies
5
Views
2K
Energy of a Forced, Damped Oscilator
Replies
6
Views
2K
A Modeling the damping of a physical rigid pendulum
Replies
1
Views
2K
Damped oscillator given odd initial conditions
Replies
2
Views
2K
I Damped oscillator with changing mass
3
Replies
131
Views
7K
How do you solve for A in a critically damped oscillator problem?
Replies
2
Views
2K
Finding the distance of a peg so that a pendulum can circle around it
Replies
2
Views
879

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top