Springs
From Algodoo
Springs
| Language: | English |
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| Description: | Springs are used in various mechanical devices to give flexibility. Springs can also be used as a tool for measuring forces - in which case it is called a Newton Meter. This lessons allows the student to study the basic behavior of springs and to construct a force meter to examine the forces in different systems. Springs also serves as a mental picture for understanding and predicting forces, e.g. “If I attach a weight to the system with a spring, will it be stretched or pulled as the system moves?”. |
| Target: | Key Stage 3 |
| Category: | Exercise, Laboratory |
| Discipline: | Static forces, Gravity |
| Learning objectives: |
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| In class: | Discuss springs in the class. There is a relation between how much force you pull with and how stretched the spring becomes. If you hang 1 kg and the spring stretches one centimeter it will stretch 2 centimeters if you hang 2 kilos etc. If the spring is stretched 4 meters, what is the weight? Some spiral springs are constructed so that they can be both compressed (pushed) and stretched (pulled). Discuss the concept of energy stored in a compressed or stretched spring. A body hanging in an ‘ideal‘ spring can oscillate forever. Real springs are damped by internal friction (causes heat- ing of the spring) and the oscillation damps out.
Let the students build springs in Algodoo and study their behaviour. Let the students construct a virtual force measurement device and study the force in various cases, e.g. an elevator. |
Steps in Algodoo
Create a scene
Experiment first with hanging an object in a spring. Study the motion for different values of object mass (material) and spring stiffness and damping. Mark the object and click “Show plot” to get a graph of the motion over time Let the students design a forcemeter for measuring the force in a simple elevator - or a carousel.
Make a prediction
Let the students make a prediction of what the force will be like in an elevator. What will it be when it starts to move downwards and upwards? What is the motion when the elevator moves at constant velocity? You can also examine the forces in a carousel.
Run/interact
Run the simulation and interact with it.
Evaluate
Was the direction of the force as expected? How does this correspond to what you feel in an elevator/carousel.
