Horizontal Mass-Spring System

by Lubin Li

Something many people have experienced in their childhoods since the 1930s would be the

trampoline.

The trampoline allows users to jump higher than they would be physically able to on flat ground. This is due to the springs connected to the metal on the edges of the trampoline. The springs in a trampoline are an example of a horizontal mass-spring system.

The ReasonWhen a person is jumping on the trampoline mat, the mat will initially have a downward motion to compensate for the weight of the person. What allows this downward motion is the springs on the edge of the trampoline being stretched out. It is an example of Hooke’s Law F=-kx, as the nature of the spring is to move back to equilibrium position. To do this the springs will snap back into a compressed position due to the restoring force. The action of snapping back will cause the mat of the trampoline to move up causing the person to be launched into the air. The force of the spring acts in the opposite direction when the person is stretching it out when standing or jumping

The trampoline is an example of how a horizontal mass-spring

system is applied to everyday life

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