Question

In an experiment a student suspends a 250 g weight using a long spring mounted vertically to a lab stand, causing the spring to stretch as much as 18 cm after reaching equilibrium (at rest). She then pulls the weight at equilibrium position down for 8 cm and let go to set it into oscillation. Assuming this is an ideal system such that there is no loss ( leaking) in energy such that the energy such that the spring will oscillate forever. What is the period of oscillation ? g= 9.81

Answer 1

When the student suspends the weight then it stretched to 18cm before coming to rest. At the equilibrium position the Force due to gravity is exactly balanced by the restoring force of the spring. Thus we'll have

  

where k= spring constant.

Then using all given values in SI units in above equation, we'll get

  

  

Now We also know that Time Period of Spring Oscillation is given by

  

then using given mass value and calculated value of "k" we'll get

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