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Created 3/29/16. Updates available online.

Masses & Springs

Masses & Springs Screenshot
  • Springs
  • Hooke's Law
  • Conservation of Energy

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.
Version 2.03

For Teachers

Teacher Tips

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

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Title Gold Star Contribution Contribution by PhET Authors Level Type
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 HS
UG-Intro		 CQs
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 UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
Demo
CQs
HW
Visualization and Visual Illusions SIM Homework A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman UG-Intro HW
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 HS HW
CQs
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
CQs
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 UG-Intro
HS		 HW
Springs and Things A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Michael Dubson, Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 HW
Lab
Designing Experiments Using Masses & Springs A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Karen King HS
MS		 Lab
Introduction to Oscillations A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Karen King HS
MS		 Lab
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
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
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS Other
Masses and Springs Simulation Homework This contribution was designed by PhET. Kathy Perkins, Carl Wieman UG-Intro
HS		 HW
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer HS
MS		 Other
Hooke's Law inquiry lab Patrick Kaplo HS Lab
Guided
PhET Simulations Aligned for AP Physics C Roberta Tanner HS Other
Moteur en PhET Bernard Lacour Other Lab
Simple Harmonic Motion Eric Aurand HS HW
Measuring Mass With Springs Jacqueline Sutton K-5 HW
Spring to Another World Dean Baird, Paul G. Hewitt UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
Mass Spring Activity Dan Burns HS Lab
Hooke's Law and Simple Harmonic Motion Michael Geiwitz HS Lab
Simu-lab: Masses and Springs Shannon HS Lab
Masses and Springs: Energy Leslie Yam K-5 Lab
Hookes Law Kristin Michalski HS Lab
Oscillations Sarah Stanhope HS
UG-Intro		 Lab
Springs PhET Lab Chris Bires HS Lab
Simple Harmonic Motion & Springs Katie Beth HS Lab
Online Assignment 4 Ms & Ss Ed Johnsen UG-Intro
HS		 CQs
HW
Lab
Hooke's Law (Springs) Jessica Mullins HS Lab
Introduction to the Online Mass-Spring Lab Joe Redish HS
UG-Intro		 HW
Position function of mass on spring Geoffrey Lee-Dadswell HS
UG-Intro		 HW
Lab
Masses and Spings John Scruggs HS Lab
Discover a Spring "Stretching Law" (Hooke Michael Poynter HS Lab
Spring or Sprung? Gretchen Swanson HS Lab
Spring Simulation - Identifying Variables & Asking Questions Jessica Mullins HS Lab
Energy Analysis of a Mass Oscillating on a Spring Jessica Mullins HS Lab
Gravity: Friend or Foe? Gretchen Swanson HS Lab
Masses and Springs Stephan Graham HS Lab
lab course mass-spring system Peter Selen HS Lab
Waves and sound(in dutch golven en trillingen) Corné de Boer HS Demo
HUKUM HOOKE M. Arif Mahdiannur, Mohamad Nur, Z. A. Imam Supardi HS Lab
Web Quest Física Oscilacoes Portugues BR Decio Schaffer Grad Guided
HW
Força Aplicada e Distenção em Molas Marcus Duarte, Edio da Costa Junior, Nathany Jammal MS Lab

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Translations

Language Download or Run Tips
Albanian All shqipe Run now Masat dhe Sustat
Arabic All العربية Run now الكتل والزنبرك
Arabic (Saudi Arabia) All العربية (السعودية) Run now الكتل والزنبرك
Basque All Basque Run now Masak eta Malgukiak
Belarusian All беларускі Run now Грузы і спружыны
Bosnian All Bosanski Run now OPRUGE & TEGOVI
Chinese (Simplified) All 中文 (中国) Run now 重物和弹簧
Chinese (Traditional) All 中文 (台灣) Run now Masses & Springs 質量與彈簧
Croatian All hrvatski Run now mass-spring-lab
Czech All čeština Run now Závaží a pružiny
Danish All Dansk Run now Vægte og fjedre
Dutch All Nederlands Run now mass-spring-lab
Estonian All Eesti Run now Koormised ja vedrud
Finnish All suomi Run now Jouset ja massat
French All français Run now mass-spring-lab
Galician All Gallegan Run now Masas e Resortes
Georgian All Georgian Run now ტვირთი ზამბარაზე
German All Deutsch Run now Massen und Spiralfedern
Greek All Ελληνικά Run now Βαρίδια & Ελατήρια
Haitian All Haitian Run now mas yo ak resò yo
Hebrew All עברית Run now מסות וקפיצים
Hungarian All magyar Run now Rugólabor
Indonesian All Bahasa Indonesia Run now Massa dan Pegas
Italian All italiano Run now Masse e molle
Japanese All 日本語 Run now 重りとバネ(Masses & Springs )
Khmer All Khmer Run now ម៉ាស និងរ៉ឺស័រ
Korean All 한국어 Run now 추와 용수철
Kurdish All کوردی Run now بارستایی & سپرینگ
Kurdish (Turkey) All Kurdish (Turkey) Run now Bariste & Kevan
Latvian All Latviešu Run now Atsvari un atsperes
Macedonian All македонски Run now ПРУЖИНИ & ТЕГОВИ
Malay All Bahasa Melayu Run now Jisim & Spring
Mongolian All Mongolian Run now Масс ба пүрш
Norwegian Bokmal All Norsk bokmål Run now Lodd og fjærer
Norwegian Nynorsk All Norwegian Nynorsk Run now Lodd og fjører
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
Russian All русский Run now Грузы и пружины
Serbian All Српски Run now ОПРУГЕ & ТЕГОВИ
Slovak All Slovenčina Run now Pružinový oscilátor
Slovenian All Slovenščina Run now Uteži in vzmeti
Spanish All español Run now Laboratorio de Resortes y Masa
Spanish (Colombia) All español (Colombia) Run now Masas y Resortes
Spanish (Peru) All español (Perú) Run now Masas & Resortes
Swedish All svenska Run now Massa & fjäder
Tamil All Tamil Run now நிறைகளும் சுருள்களும்
Thai All ไทย Run now มวล & สปริง
Turkish All Türkçe Run now Kütle&Esneklik
Turkmen All Turkmen Run now Agramlar we pružinalar
Ukrainian All українська Run now Маси і пружини
Vietnamese All Tiếng Việt Run now Quả cân và lò xo

Software Requirements

Windows Macintosh Linux
Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7
Macromedia Flash 9 or later
OS 10.5 or later
Macromedia Flash 9 or later
Macromedia Flash 9 or later

Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Michael Dubson (developer/lead)
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Interviewer: Wendy Adams
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