Masses and Springs

Masses and Springs Screenshot
  • Periodic Motion
  • Hooke's Law
  • Conservation of Energy
Flash Logo Original Sim and Translations

Topics

  • Periodic Motion
  • Hooke's Law
  • Conservation of Energy
  • Newton's Laws
  • Measurement
  • Vectors

Description

Hang masses from springs and adjust the spring constant and damping. Transport the lab to different planets, or slow down time. Observe the forces and energy in the system in real-time, and measure the period using the stopwatch.

Sample Learning Goals

  • Determine the factors which affect the period of oscillation
  • Find the value of g on Planet X
  • Design an experiment to determine the mass of an unknown object
  • Describe the relationship between the velocity and acceleration vectors, and their relationship to motion, at various points in the oscillation
  • Explain how the free-body diagram of the mass changes throughout its oscillation
  • Explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy using kinetic, elastic potential, gravitational potential, and thermal energy
Version 1.0.10

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Conservation of Energy using Masses and Springs (homework version) (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS
MC
HW
Remote
Lab
Physics
Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS
MC Physics
Algebra-based Physics Semester one lessons, clicker questions, and schedule in pdf (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro
Demo
HW
Lab
Physics
Conservation of Energy using Masses and Springs (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS Lab Physics
Masses and Springs Homework Determine Unknowns (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro
HW Physics
Hooke's Law (Hands-on & PhET) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Elyse Zimmer HS Lab Physics
Experimental Design with Forces A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. UTeach Middle School PhET Team MS Lab Physics
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other Chemistry
Physics
Earth Science
Biology
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein updated by Diana López MS
HS
Other Earth Science
Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Factors Affecting The Frequency of A simple Harmonic Oscillator Ferdinand Bautista MS
HS
Lab
Guided
Physics
Simple Harmonic Motion (Pendulum & Spring) Nawal Nayfeh UG-Intro
HS
Lab
Remote
Physics
Virtual Lab - Hooke's Law and Spring Systems Tristan O'Hanlon UG-Intro
HS
Remote
Guided
Lab
Physics
Spring Oscillators Activity Silas Laycock HS
UG-Intro
Remote
Lab
Guided
Physics
Simple Harmonic Motion Virtual Modeling Lab PhET Julie Farhm HS Lab
Remote
Physics
Hooke's Law, Spring Constant, and Energy HONORS Steve Banasiak HS Lab Physics
Hooke's Law and Spring Constant with Energy: Regular Level Steve Banasiak HS Lab Physics
Mapping of PhET and IBDP Physics Jaya Ramchandani HS Other Physics
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer HS
MS
Other Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Spring Mass Experiment Gaurang Patel UG-Intro
UG-Adv
HS
Guided
Lab
Physics
PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C Roberta Tanner HS Other Physics
Energy in a Coil Spring Norman Burtness HS
UG-Intro
Lab Physics
Hooke's Law Lab Clark Andersen HS HW
Lab
Physics
Qualitative Introduction to Energy Steve Banasiak MS
HS
Lab Physics
Introducción a la Física: medidas, unidades y relación entre variables A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López HS
UG-Intro
HW
Lab
Remote
Guided
Physics
SECUNDARIA: Alineación PhET con programas de la SEP México (2011 y 2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López HS
MS
Other Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Mathematics
PREPARATORIA: Alineación de PhET con programas de la DGB México (2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López UG-Intro
HS
Other Physics
Mathematics
Chemistry
Oplossing (Veren en massa's) Roland Van Kerschaver HS Lab Physics
Mathematics
Massa's en veren Roland Van Kerschaver HS Lab Physics
Moteur en PhET Bernard Lacour Other Lab Physics
Estática (Atividades) nos OA's do PhET Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales MS
HS
UG-Intro
Other
Guided
Demo
Other
HW
Discuss
Physics
Other
Earth Science
Dinâmica (Atividades) nos OA's do PhET Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales MS
Other
HS
Grad
UG-Adv
Other
Guided
Lab
HW
Earth Science
Physics
Other
LEY HOOKE Y MOVIMIENTO ARMÓNICO Pedro Salgado HS
UG-Intro
Remote
HW
Guided
Lab
Astronomy
Physics
Movimiento Armonico Simple: El pendulo y el resorte (Simple Harmonic Motion:pendulum and spring Carmen Maldonado UG-Intro
HS
HW
Demo
Remote
Lab
Guided
Physics

Language Download or Run Tips
Albanian All shqip Run now Masat dhe Sustat
Arabic All العربية Run now الكتل و النوابض
Azerbaijani All Azerbaijani Run now Kütlələr və yaylar 
Basque All Euskara Run now Masak eta malgukiak
Bosnian All Bosanski Run now Mase i opruge
Chinese (Simplified) All 中文 (中国) Run now 质量和弹簧
Chinese (Traditional) All 中文 (台灣) Run now Masses and Springs_質量與彈簧
Croatian All hrvatski Run now Mase i opruge
Czech All čeština Run now Hmotnosti a pružiny
Danish All Dansk Run now Vægte og fjedre
Dutch All Nederlands Run now Massa’s en veren
French All français Run now Masses et ressorts
German All Deutsch Run now Massen und Federn
Greek All Ελληνικά Run now Μάζες και ελατήρια
Gujarati All Gujarati Run now દળ અને સ્પ્રિંગ -Pankajsid34
Hebrew All עברית Run now משקולות וקפיצים
Hungarian All magyar Run now Rugólabor
Irish All Gaeilge Run now Maiseanna agus Lingeáin
Italian All italiano Run now Masse e molle
Japanese All 日本語 Run now おもりとばね
Kazakh All Kazakh Run now Серіппелі маятник
Korean All 한국어 Run now 질량과 용수철
Mongolian All Монгол (Монгол) Run now Масс ба Пүрш
Norwegian Bokmal All Norsk bokmål Run now Lodd og fjær
Persian All فارسی Run now جرم ها و فنرها
Polish All polski Run now Ciężarki na sprężynach
Portuguese (Brazil) All português (Brasil) Run now Massas e Molas Download teacher tips PDF
Russian All русский Run now Колебания тела на пружине
Serbian All Српски Run now Масе и опруге
Slovak All Slovenčina Run now Pružinový oscilátor
Slovenian All Slovenščina Run now Uteži in vzmeti
Spanish All español Run now Masas y Resortes  Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Mexico) All español (México) Run now Masas y Resortes  Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Peru) All español (Perú) Run now Masas y Resortes
Swedish All svenska Run now Vikter och fjädrar
Tamil All Tamil Run now Masses and Springs
Thai All ไทย Run now มวลและสปริง
Turkish All Türkçe Run now Kütleler ve Yaylar
Ukrainian All українська Run now Маси і пружини Download teacher tips PDF
Vietnamese All Tiếng Việt Run now Con lắc lò xo
Welsh All Welsh Run now Masau a sbringiau

HTML5 sims can run on iPads and Chromebooks, as well as PC, Mac, and Linux systems.

iPad:
iOS 12+ Safari
iPad compatible sims

Android:
Not officially supported. If you are using the HTML5 sims on Android, we recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome.

Chromebook:
Latest version of Google Chrome
The HTML5 and Flash PhET sims are supported on all Chromebooks.
Chromebook compatible sims

Windows Systems:
Microsoft Edge, latest version of Firefox, latest version of Google Chrome.

Macintosh Systems:
macOS 10.9.5+, Safari 9+, latest version of Chrome.

Linux Systems:
Not officially supported. Please contact phethelp@colorado.edu with troubleshooting issues.

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Denzell Barnett (developer)
  • Matt Pennington (developer)
  • Amy Rouinfar (lead designer)
  • Mike Dubson (original designer)
  • Wendy Adams
  • Ariel Paul
  • Kathy Perkins
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