Masses & Springs
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About
Topics
- Springs
- Hooke's Law
- Conservation of Energy
- Measurement
Description
A realistic mass and spring laboratory. Hang masses from springs and adjust the spring stiffness and damping. You can even slow time. Transport the lab to different planets. A chart shows the kinetic, potential, and thermal energy for each spring.
Sample Learning Goals
- Explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy concept using kinetic, elastic potential, and gravitational potential energy.
- Use your understanding of how a spring scale works to determine the mass of an unknown object.
- Find the value of g on Planet X.
For Teachers
Teacher Tips
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Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking (PDF). |
Teacher-Submitted Activities
| Title |
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Authors | Level | Type | Updated |
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| Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based) |
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Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
CQs | 5/27/15 |
| Algebra-based Physics Semester one lessons, clicker questions, and schedule in pdf (Inquiry Based) |
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Trish Loeblein | UG-Intro HS |
Demo CQs HW Lab |
5/27/15 |
| Visualization and Visual Illusions SIM Homework |
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Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman | UG-Intro | HW | 5/26/15 |
| Conservation of Energy using Masses and Springs (homework version) (Inquiry Based) |
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Trish Loeblein | HS | CQs HW |
7/9/13 |
| Conservation of Energy using Masses and Springs (Inquiry Based) |
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Trish Loeblein | HS | Lab CQs |
7/7/13 |
| Masses and Springs Homework Determine Unknowns (Inquiry Based) |
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Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
HW | 7/7/13 |
| Springs and Things |
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Michael Dubson, Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
HW Lab |
7/5/08 |
| Designing Experiments Using Masses & Springs |
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Karen King | HS MS |
Lab | 4/28/15 | |
| Introduction to Oscillations |
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Karen King | HS MS |
Lab | 4/28/15 | |
| Hooke's Law (Hands-on & PhET) |
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Elyse Zimmer | HS | Lab | 7/21/14 | |
| Experimental Design with Forces |
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UTeach Middle School PhET Team | MS | Lab | 6/22/12 | |
| Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS |
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Trish Loeblein | HS | Other | 10/19/15 | |
| How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? |
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Sarah Borenstein | MS | Other | 10/19/15 | |
| Masses and Springs Simulation Homework |
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Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman | HS UG-Intro |
HW | 1/8/11 | |
| Hooke's Law inquiry lab | Patrick Kaplo | HS | Lab Guided |
11/5/15 | ||
| MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment | Elyse Zimmer | MS HS |
Other | 10/19/15 | ||
| PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C | Roberta Tanner | HS | Other | 8/12/15 | ||
| Moteur en PhET | Bernard Lacour | Other | Lab | 5/19/15 | ||
| Simple Harmonic Motion | Eric Aurand | HS | HW | 4/7/15 | ||
| Measuring Mass With Springs | Jacqueline Sutton | K-5 | HW | 3/15/15 | ||
| Spring to Another World | Dean Baird, Paul G. Hewitt | HS UG-Intro |
Lab | 10/19/14 | ||
| Mass Spring Activity | Dan Burns | HS | Lab | 7/29/14 | ||
| Hooke's Law and Simple Harmonic Motion | Michael Geiwitz | HS | Lab | 5/12/14 | ||
| Simu-lab: Masses and Springs | Shannon | HS | Lab | 5/8/13 | ||
| Masses and Springs: Energy | Leslie Yam | K-5 | Lab | 3/26/13 | ||
| Hookes Law | Kristin Michalski | HS | Lab | 1/26/12 | ||
| Oscillations | Sarah Stanhope | UG-Intro HS |
Lab | 1/27/11 | ||
| Springs PhET Lab | Chris Bires | HS | Lab | 8/4/10 | ||
| Simple Harmonic Motion & Springs | Katie Beth | HS | Lab | 3/2/10 | ||
| Online Assignment 4 Ms & Ss | Ed Johnsen | UG-Intro HS |
Lab CQs HW |
7/13/09 | ||
| Hooke's Law (Springs) | Jessica Mullins | HS | Lab | 4/14/08 | ||
| Introduction to the Online Mass-Spring Lab | Joe Redish | HS UG-Intro |
HW | 4/6/08 | ||
| Position function of mass on spring | Geoffrey Lee-Dadswell | HS UG-Intro |
HW Lab |
3/7/08 | ||
| Masses and Spings | John Scruggs | HS | Lab | 1/7/08 | ||
| Discover a Spring "Stretching Law" (Hooke | Michael Poynter | HS | Lab | 9/18/07 | ||
| Spring or Sprung? | Gretchen Swanson | HS | Lab | 9/18/07 | ||
| Spring Simulation - Identifying Variables & Asking Questions | Jessica Mullins | HS | Lab | 9/18/07 | ||
| Energy Analysis of a Mass Oscillating on a Spring | Jessica Mullins | HS | Lab | 9/18/07 | ||
| Gravity: Friend or Foe? | Gretchen Swanson | HS | Lab | 9/18/07 | ||
| Masses and Springs | Stephan Graham | HS | Lab | 9/28/06 | ||
| lab course mass-spring system | Peter Selen | HS | Lab | 5/13/14 | ||
| Waves and sound(in dutch golven en trillingen) | Corné de Boer | HS | Demo | 4/11/12 | ||
| Força Aplicada e Distenção em Molas | Marcus Duarte, Edio da Costa Junior, Nathany Jammal | MS | Lab | 2/20/14 |
Translations
Related Simulations
Software Requirements
| Windows | Macintosh | Linux |
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Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 Macromedia Flash 9 or later
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OS 10.5 or later Macromedia Flash 9 or later
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Macromedia Flash 9 or later
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Credits
| Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
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