Physics 312 Lecture: "Springs and Simple Harmonic Motion" Mar 30, 1998

• A spring displaced from rest produces a restoring force linearly related to displacement
• Therefore, springs exhibit simple harmonic motion
• A spring has a "spring constant" or "force constant" which has units of N/m
• The potential energy of a spring is

              SPE = 0.5 * k * x^2
  

• As a spring moves, it converts Spring Potential Energy into kinetic energy; the sum, total energy, is conserved

This lecture discusses material in Chapter 13 of Serway.

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