Day 1:

1. Have students build oscillators, with a focus on variety
2. Class discussion on commonalities between builds
3. Each group chooses a single system and measure the period
4. Groups systematically change initial amplitude and see if period is affected
   1. No effect: Possible harmonic oscillator
   2. Effect: Not a simple harmonic oscillator
5. Move to common system: Mass on a spring
6. similar measurement of period
7. Characterize spring constant
8. Introduce rotary encoder as measurement device

Day 2:

1. Pick up with spring system again
2. Introduce air tracks as a way to optimize setup by reducing friction
3. Students characterize SHO behavior
4. Students add damping term, characterize changes
   1. How damping interacts with spring constant/mass
   2. How damping affects period
5. Students add driving term
   1. Investigate frequency/amplitude relationship

• Option 1 - Use air tracks for all groups
  • Use springs/carts on day 1 as known system
    • Can vary cart mass / spring tension
  • Can add damping & driving day 2

• Option 2 - Open-ended setup
  • Day 1 - Students given supplies, asked to make something that oscillates, such as:
    • Pendulum
    • Suspended spring
    • Torsion pendulum
    • rocking motion from curved body
    • marble running on semi-circle track
  • Students do something to characterize motion
    • Video analysis with tracker
    • Timing maximum amplitudes
  • Students asked to keep type of system the same but change the period at least twice, in different ways if possible
  • Day 2: Add in discussion/usage of damping and/or driving
    • Damping would be natural in most experiments in some form
    • Driving could be difficult to add arbitrarily
    • Analysis would almost certainly require Tracker and video

• Option 3 - Hanging springs only
  • Students only work with masses hanging from springs / elastic
  • Make it so that many springs and masses are available
    • Option to use springs side-by-side could be cool
    • Would be easier to use with photogate, maybe.
      • Might have to add a flag to the edge to pass through gate
  • Day 2: Damping/Driving could be done more readily with motors and coupling string/spring

Option 1 Pros:

• Already have equipment, software, etc
• Known quantity since we've done it before

Cons:

• Blowers are pretty loud
• No meaningful apparatus building

Option 2 Pros:

• Similar style of apparatus design as other labs this quarter

Cons:

• Measurement is problematic
• Need materials quickly

Option 3 Pros:

• Have equipment already
• Has a few more options to explore than Option 1

Cons:

• Still would need to come up with measurement setup
• Springs will likely die at the hands of students