STUCK IN PHYSICSAll simulations ↗A spring. A block. Back and forth.
Stretch or compress the spring, release the block from rest, and follow the motion and energy.
The oscillator
UndampedDisplacement
Velocity
Acceleration
Kinetic energy
Spring potential energy
Total mechanical energy
Ready
FOLLOW THE MOTION AND THE ENERGY
Six views of the same motion
Dashed: full curve · solid: elapsed time
Velocity against time
Acceleration against time
Kinetic energy against time
Potential energy against time
Total energy against time
Simple harmonic motion
Predict, then check
1. Keep damping off and double the initial extension. What happens to the period and the initial energy?
2. Increase the mass, then increase the spring constant. How does each change the period?
3. Compare displacement and acceleration at the same instant. Where is the block moving fastest?
4. Add damping. Where does the lost mechanical energy go? Try critical damping and compare it with a larger damping coefficient.
The surface is frictionless. With damping enabled, “total energy” on the graph means KE + spring PE. Energy transferred to the surroundings is tracked separately.
Explore spring–mass oscillations and damping
Release a block from an initial spring extension or compression. Change the mass and spring constant, then compare displacement, velocity, acceleration, kinetic energy, spring potential energy and total mechanical energy against physical time.
Supports oscillation and energy topics in IB Physics SL and HL, A Level Physics, AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C: Mechanics. The optional damping controls extend the exploration to underdamped, critically damped and overdamped motion.