slinky spring experiment

Slinky in Hand

With just a Slinky and your hands, model transverse wave resonances as well as longitudinal wave resonances. Learn about nodes and antinodes of motion and compression.

• About 3 meters of 20-pound test monofilament fishing line
• Masking tape
• Optional: substitute for nylon line, a smooth tabletop

None needed.

Hold the Slinky between your hands—it will be horizontal and will sag. Move both of your hands up and down together. Find the lowest frequency that produces the largest motion of the Slinky using the smallest motion of your hands (this should be about one cycle per second.) One large hump—half a wave—should appear, moving up and down on the Slinky (see illustration below). Count the rhythm every time the middle of the Slinky hits bottom—1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. If you have trouble, try doing this same experiment using a side-to-side motion on a table top).

Count the rhythm every time your right hand hits bottom—1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.

When you move your hands together, you make a half a wave on the Slinky. The middle of the Slinky is an antinode , a point of maximum motion, while the hand-held ends are nearly (but not quite) nodes , points of no motion. When you move your hands in opposite directions, a half a wave also appears on the Slinky. However, this half-wave has one node in the center and two antinodes near the hand-held ends. The timing on both of these is the same—that is, the period is the same. They both are resonances in which one half-wave fits onto the Slinky. Both of these patterns of motion have the fundamental frequency of oscillation, the lowest frequency of motion for a Slinky held at both ends—close to 1 hertz.

For the transverse motion of the Slinky, at places where the motion of the Slinky passes through zero (a node of motion), the slope of the Slinky changes the most (an antinode of slope). So at the same spots where there are nodes of motion, there are antinodes of slope.

Tie the fishing line to a chair. Slide the slinky onto the fishing line, and then tie the other end of the fishing line to another chair. Pull the chairs apart until the line is taut. Optional, rest the slinky on a smooth table top. If you use a table top, use only 1/2 of a plastic slinky, otherwise friction will make the experiments difficult.

Grab the ends of the slinky in your hands. Stretch the slinky to between 1 and 2 meters long. Move your hands together and then apart, just as if you were clapping. Notice the motion of the slinky. Your hands move a lot while the center of the slinky moves very little. The center is a node. You can attach a small flag of masking tape to the center of the slinky to make it easier to see that the center is not moving.

Next notice the spacing between the slinks (turns) of the slinky. When the slinks are jammed close together the slinky models high pressures in a gas, where the atoms are closer together. When the slinks are far apart ,the slinky models low pressure in a gas. Let's call closely spaced slinks high pressure and widely spaced slinks low pressure. Notice that the pressure change is greatest at the center where the slinks alternately bunch-up and spread apart, and where the side to side motion of the flag is the least. Count the rhythm of this motion: 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,... Move both hands in the same direction, if the slinky stretches right-left move both hands to the left then to the right. (One of our teachers described this as the sound of one hand clapping twice.)

Notice the motion of the slinky which is called longitudinal motion. Find the frequency of hand motion that produces the largest motion of the center of the slinky for the smallest motion of your hands. Count the rhythm of this motion: 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,... Notice that the center of the slinky is an antinode, your hands are nearly nodes. The flag marking the center whips back-and-forth. Notice that in the center the slinky moves back and forth but the spacing between the slinks near the center does not change. The center is an antinode of motion but a node (a place with no change) of pressure. At the nodes of motion near your hands however the slinks bunch together and then spread apart: the pressure changes a lot. The hand-held ends are antinodes of pressure. Notice also that when one hand is at high pressure the other is low. The ends then swap. The high pressure hand becomes a low pressure and vice-versa. In other words, the slinks bunch up near one hand while they spread out at the other.

When your hands move together one-half-wave of longitudinal motion fits on the slinky. This is the lowest frequency resonance of the slinky held at both ends, it is called the fundamental frequency. When your hands move opposite, one-half-wave of longitudinal motion also fits on the slinky but this time the node is in the middle while your hands are near antinodes. A sound wave is a longitudinal wave. A sound wave can be viewed either as a wave of motion of atoms or as a wave of pressure. In a standing sound wave in a tube nodes of motion occur at the same place as antinodes of pressure. When both of your hands move together and apart as in a normal clap you are modelling sound waves in a tube closed at both ends. There are motion nodes at the ends and pressure antinodes. When you move both hands in the same direction, the non-clap, you are modelling a tube open at both ends. It has motion antinodes at the ends and pressure nodes.

Find a higher frequency resonance of the longitudinal wave in which you move both hands in the same direction (anti-clap). You should have to move your hands about twice as often as in the lowest frequency resonance you created before.

Count the frequency: 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4. Notice the motion of the slinky, there are two nodes each about 1/4 of the way from each end. Mark the nodes with flags of masking tape.

One full wave fits on the slinky. When there is a high pressure near one node there is low pressure near the other. The high pressure and low pressure regions switch positions each cycle. Move your hands opposite each other (clap) and find the next higher resonant frequency.

There will be three nodes on the slinky, one in the center and the other two 1/6 of the slinky from each end. 3/2 of a wave fits on the slinky. Notice the pressure changes on the slinky, when one node is experiencing high pressure the adjacent one experiences low pressure. With time, each node oscillates from high pressure to low and back again.

High pressure and low pressure nodes alternate in time as well as in space. To create an odd number of nodes move your hands opposite each other, clap hands. To create an even number of nodes, move your hands in the same direction.

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4 Fun Science Activities to try with a Slinky Spring

Aside from being huge amounts of fun, the slinky spring is a brilliant and versatile tool for demonstrating important themes in the CAPS curriculum. These themes include matter and materials, waves, sound and light and energy and change. Each of the 4 activities demonstrates a different theme. Some themes are repeated but with increasing complexity for older learners. Using the simple and inexpensive slinky spring, educators can bring science to life with realistic laser sounds, visible waves and even a slinky walking downstairs.

Activity 1: Create laser sounds

Grade 4 | CAPS Themes: Energy and Change, Energy and Sound: Sound through Solids – Metal

Attach one end of the slinky spring to an open container with a sticker. Now extend the spring, letting it hang a bit. Take care not to over stretch or twist it as it might not return to its original shape. Tap the slinky with a hard object. You’ll hear a brilliant amplified laser sound. You can also observe a visible wave moving up and down the spring after you tap it.

Activity 2: Walk Slinky Downstairs

Grade 5 | CAPS Themes: Energy and Change, Energy and Movement: Elastics and Springs

For this activity you will need a slinky that is not twisted or damaged. Place the stacked spring on the top step. Now push the top of the slinky over so that it unravels down onto the step below. If done just right with the right size stairs, the slinky will ‘walk’ all the way down the flight of steps.

This is great activity to teach momentum and potential energy. Another way to demonstrate potential energy is to simply lay the spring on a hard surface and stretch it out. The spring is held in tension to show potential energy. If the spring is released, then learners will see how potential energy can be converted into movement energy.

Activity 3: Create a Rheostat

Grade 6 | CAPS Themes: Energy and Change, Electrical Conductors and Insulators

Slightly stretch the spring so that there are small gaps between the rungs. Place in series in a circuit with a crocodile clip attached to one end and the other crocodile clip free to move up or down the spring. Now set it up with 3V circuit and a bulb in series. What happens if the free crocodile clip is moved closer to the connected end or further away? Try again with a motor. You will notice that you can easily increase or reduce resistance in the circuit. You’ve just used the slinky spring to create a simple rheostat. Remember not to try this with higher voltages or for extended periods of time as the steel could get very hot.

Activity 4: Make some waves

Grade 8 | CAPS Themes: Matter and Materials, Visible Light, Spectrum of Visible Light

Grade 10, 11, 12 |CAPS Themes: Waves, Sound and Light

To understand waves, sound, light, electronics and properties of materials, learners must first grasp the concept of longitudinal and transverse waves.

To demonstrate transverse waves, lay the slinky out on a hard floor and extend it. Now quickly move it from side to side to create a wave. Frequency, amplitude and period can clearly be illustrated. If you move it quicker you have a higher frequency. If you make larger movements then greater amplitude is visible. Period (time) is also visible as the ‘crests’ of the waves and is equal to the length between these crests. 

To create a pulse, start in the middle and move the slinky to one side only, then back to the middle. Illustrate reflection by attaching one end to a fixed point. The wave will reflect back when it hits the fixed point. Note with a pulse that it reflects back on the opposite side. If two pulses are sent from opposite ends when they meet in the middle, they will amplify but if opposite when they meet in the middle they will be cancelled out at that point.

For longitudinal waves, make a quick movement of the end down the length of the slinky to compress the spring. Again observe the waves and effects. Try changing period, frequency and amplitude.

It's exciting to see what's possible with a simple and cost-effective slinky spring. We've given you four ideas but the options are endless. Please post your contributions and ideas in the comment box below - we'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to purchase slinky springs for you classroom or home school head over to our online store and purchase here .

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Slinking Science: Take a Slinky Toy for a Walk

An angular activity from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

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Key concepts Physics Engineering Inclined plane Gravity Momentum Introduction Have you ever watched a Slinky "walk" down a flight of stairs and wondered how it works? It's a fascinating thing to see and a big part of the Slinky's appeal. These spring toys have been popular for well over half a century; your parents, or even grandparents, may have played with them. Slinkies not only make fun toys, they are also great for doing physics and engineering activities. In this activity you will investigate how the angle of an inclined plane affects how well a Slinky can walk down that plane. What angle will enable the Slinky to go for the best walk? Background The Slinky is a classic toy in the U.S. and an interesting tool for physics investigations. It was not originally created, however, with either of these purposes in mind. The inventor of the Slinky was a retired Navy engineer named Richard James, who worked in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. He initially thought the bouncy springs would be useful on ships for supporting sensitive instruments and keeping them stable during storms at sea. But after the Navy showed no interest in his springs, his wife, Betty, had a better idea—she thought up a catchy name and Slinky the toy was born in 1945. So how does the Slinky "walk" down a flight of stairs? To do this, the Slinky slowly flips end over end. If you watch closely, you'll see it stretches to reach the next step down, reforms itself, then stretches again to reach the next step, and so on. This process is possible because of gravity and the Slinky's own momentum. In this way a Slinky can walk down other surfaces, too, such as an inclined plane, which is a type of sloping surface that you will use in this activity. Materials •     A sheet of plywood. Try to find one that's about two feet long by one foot wide, at least. •     Stack of books •     Protractor •     Stopwatch •     Metal Slinky (full size, not a Slinky, Jr.) •     A piece of paper and a pen or pencil •     A helper •     Other sizes and types of Slinkies (optional) Preparation •     To make your adjustable inclined plane, rest one of the narrow ends of your piece of plywood on a stack of books and the opposite end on the floor. •     Make sure that you have enough books of varying thicknesses to create a 25-degree angle with the inclined plane. This is the largest angle you will be testing. Using a protractor, measure the angle formed where the base of the plane meets the floor.

Procedure •     Adjust the inclined plane so that it is at a 15-degree angle. Use the protractor to confirm the angle formed where the base of the plane meets the floor. •     Have a helper get ready with a stopwatch. •     At the top of the inclined plane hold the Slinky so that it is bent over, making an upside-down U. Let the lower part of the Slinky just barely touch the plane. (This may mean that you are holding around half to two thirds of the Slinky's coils on the upper part of the plane.) Why do you think you should hold the Slinky this way? •     Release the Slinky and have your helper time how long it takes the Slinky to reach the bottom of the plane. Also count how many flips the Slinky does during this time. Tip: Make sure the Slinky doesn't tumble down the plane but actually flips end over end; do not count any of the "walks" in which the Slinky tumbled. •     How long did the Slinky take to reach the bottom at this angle, and how many flips did it make? Write down your results. •     Repeat this at least four more times, each time releasing the Slinky from the same spot at the top of the inclined plane, timing it and counting its flips. How long did it take in these other trials, and how many flips did it make? Write down your results. •     Adjust the inclined plane so that it is at a 20-degree angle. Use the protractor to confirm this. •     Repeat the experiment five times at the 20-degree angle, each time releasing the Slinky from the same spot, timing it and counting its flips. At a 20-degree angle, how long did it take the Slinky to go down the plane, and how many flips did it make? Write down your results for each of the five walks. •     Adjust the inclined plane so that it is at a 25-degree angle, using the protractor. •     Repeat the experiment five times at the 25-degree angle, each time releasing the Slinky from the same spot, timing it and counting its flips. At a 25-degree angle, how long did it take the Slinky to go down the plane, and how many flips did it make? Write down your results for each of the five tries. •     At which angle did the Slinky make the greatest number of flips on its walk? At which angle did the Slinky take the fastest walk? •     Extra: In this activity you investigated how a Slinky walks down inclined planes at 15-, 20- or 25-degree angles, but you can change your inclined plane to create a much smaller or greater slope than these and investigate how well the Slinky walks at the more extreme angles. What are the smallest and largest angles that the inclined plane can be for a Slinky to still be able to "walk" down it? •     Extra: A small Slinky, like a Slinky, Jr., might walk down an inclined plane differently than a larger version. Similarly, a plastic Slinky might travel differently than a metal one of the same size. Pick the angle that worked best in this activity and separately try two different types of Slinkies, either different sizes made of the same material or the same size but made out of different materials. How do the different Slinkies walk down the plane? Does one make more flips or travel faster than the other at the same angle? Why do you think this is? •     Extra: There are many ways to use a Slinky to explore different scientific concepts. One activity to try is to put the two ends on the floor and jump. Can you use the Slinky as a wave detector this way? Alternatively, try wiggling the Slinky back and forth. What can you learn about compression waves by doing this? You can even bang on the Slinky to generate sound. Can you make different pitches? Slinkies have also been used as giant antennas. Can you think of a way to explore using a Slinky as an antenna? What other scientific Slinky uses or investigations can you think of doing?

Observations and results Did the Slinky do the greatest number of flips on its walk down the inclined plane when it was at a 15-degree angle? Did the Slinky travel fastest down the inclined plane when it was at a 25-degree angle? Gravity and its own momentum keep the Slinky moving down the inclined plane, and these forces are related to how the Slinky behaves when traveling at different angles. When the Slinky walks down something relatively steep, such as the inclined plane at a 25-degree angle compared with the 15-degree slope, the Slinky should travel faster as gravity pulls it downward. Depending on the exact conditions, this may take about one third of the time that the Slinky requires at a shallower angle, but the Slinky will not make as many flips on this speedy walk. When the Slinky walks down a surface that is not as steep, such as the inclined plane at 15 degrees compared with 25 degrees, the Slinky should flip more (possibly around two to three times more). When traveling on a 20-degree inclination, the Slinky's speed and number of flips should be in between these two extremes.  The exact conditions used in the activity, such as the smoothness of the plywood surface and Slinky's condition, can also affect how the toy performs at the different inclinations. More to explore Slinky Physics: How Do Toys Work? from Newton's Apple High-speed video reveals the bizarre physics of Slinkies from Robert T. Gonzalez at io9 Inventor of the Week Archive: The Slinky from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Slinking Slinkies from Science Buddies This activity brought to you in partnership with  Science Buddies

Experimenting with wave properties

What are the different properties of waves? What makes one wave different from another?

This resource was originally published in PhysicsQuest 2023: Making Waves.

This is the teacher guide for this lesson. A student-focused guide to assist learners as they perform the activity is available.

View the student guide: Slinkys

• One Slinky per group (four to five students per group)
• Long, smooth area on the floor in a gym or open hallway

Students start the lesson by discussing waves. This will provide teachers with formative assessment data to gauge students' prior knowledge of waves. Students will then engage in an experiment where they explore with Slinkys to answer the key question, “What are the different properties of waves? What makes one wave different from another?”

• Total time 30 - 45 minutes
• Education level Grades 5 - 9
• Content Area Waves
• Educational topic Waves, types of waves, features of waves, wave terminology

Watch this video from Little Shop of Physics for an overview of the experimental setup and the science behind the phenomenon.

Slinkys are an easy and entertaining way to see, feel, and even hear key wave properties. They can be used to model two fundamental categories of waves: transverse and longitudinal. Mechanical waves need a medium to propagate in (as opposed to electromagnetic waves, which do not).

In this activity, the Slinky is the medium that the waves travel through. Waves carry energy and cause points along the Slinky (the medium) to be displaced from their equilibrium positions in a predictable pattern. A longitudinal wave causes the Slinky to be displaced along the same axis that the wave is traveling in — it stretches and compresses the Slinky. Sound is an example of a longitudinal wave. Transverse waves, such as those that exist at the surfaces of oceans and lakes, are what most people think of when they think of waves: they cause the Slinky to be displaced along an axis that’s perpendicular to the one the wave is traveling in (side-to-side or up-and-down motion). Light and all electromagnetic waves are also examples of transverse waves.

When waves reach the far end of the Slinky, they will reflect and bounce back, interfering with any waves that might be traveling in the opposite direction. We will use this wave interference phenomenon to our advantage to create standing waves — waves that oscillate, but don’t change height (amplitude) or speed so they appear to be staying the same or “standing still” — so we can more easily observe wave properties like wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.

These are the key terms that students should know by the end of the lesson. They do not need to be front loaded. In fact, studies show that presenting key terms to students before the lesson may not be as effective as having students observe and witness the phenomenon the key terms illustrate beforehand and learn the formalized words afterward. For this reason, we recommend allowing students to grapple with the experiments without knowing these words and then exposing them to the formalized definitions afterward in the context of what they learned.

However, if these words are helpful for students on an IEP, ELL students, or anyone else who may need more support, please use at your discretion.

• Wave : A disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another, carrying energy as it goes.
• Medium : The material through which the wave propagates.
• Transverse wave : A wave in which the energy moves in a direction that’s perpendicular to the one that the wave is traveling along.
• Longitudinal wave : A wave that moves in the same direction that the wave is traveling along.
• Standing wave (also called stationary wave) : Occurs when transverse waves traveling from opposite directions are of the same frequency and amplitude and interfere with each other in such a way as to make a pattern that appears to be standing still.
• Wavelength : The distance over which the wave shape repeats. For instance, the distance from one peak to the next peak in succession.
• Frequency : The number of waves that pass a fixed point in a certain amount of time.
• Amplitude : The height of the wave, determined from its centerline or equilibrium position.

Students will experiment with Slinkys to learn about different types of waves and features that distinguish one wave from another.

It is important to understand that student goals may be different and unique from the lesson goals. We recommend leaving room for students to set their own goals for each activity.

Watch this video from Little Shop of Physics for an overview of the experimental setup and the science behind the phenomenon!

Why do you think waves might be important? How can understanding waves be useful? To whom are waves useful?

• Give them one minute to think quietly.
• Give students two minutes to discuss their thinking.
• Have students record their answers or share out to the whole group.

Make sure students are put into intentional groups. See the STEP UP Everyday Actions Guide or the Teacher Tips below for more details.

Group your students (groups of four to five work well) and give each group one Slinky.

Stretch the Slinky out on a long, smooth floor area (avoid stretching the Slinky too tight; this could damage it).

• Make longitudinal waves by keeping the Slinky straight and pushing one end toward the other a few times.
• Make transverse waves by quickly pulling one end of the Slinky to the side with a sort of flicking motion, and make longitudinal waves by giving one end of the Slinky a sharp push forward push. Students may discover additional interesting techniques.

Make sure that students take turns being the wave-maker.

Encourage students to observe thoughtfully, using multiple senses — this activity provides good tactile feedback on wave behavior.

Important note

You can refer back to this activity as you learn more about waves. So be careful not to rush it! You’ll want students to have a solid understanding of how waves behave because they’ve experienced it kinesthetically first-hand! If they have the time to develop their terminology through their exploration, they’ll remember it better in the long term.

After they play, get them started in making transverse and longitudinal waves. If students have learned the distinction between these two types of waves, they will often come up with solutions for creating each type with some gentle prompting. If they have yet to learn the difference, allowing them to play and describe the waves they can make can lead into a mini-lesson on each type.

• What kind of wave (transverse or longitudinal) is performed by the crowd at baseball games? (Transverse)
• What kind of wave is a sonic boom, made from a speedy aircraft traveling overhead? (Longitudinal)

Once they understand the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves, take time to focus on transverse waves and their properties, because light is a transverse wave and we’ll be diving deeper into light in the next experiments.

Have the student groups make only transverse waves with their Slinkys. If they have seen this vocab before, have each student group write on their paper or whiteboards:

• Longitudinal
• Standing wave

If not, have them describe the ways they can change the wave and provide a mini-lesson defining the words after exploring.

Can they make transverse waves of varying sizes? Speeds? Give them time to explore and invent ways to figure this out on their own.

Have students draw pictures or write in words describing what each of the terms means.

Walk around the room and hear the conversations between groups and help students develop their own ideas.

Use the Discussion Diamond protocol:

• The teacher poses a question that students can answer with data.
• All students get three minutes to think and write their thoughts in their respective corners.
• The students take turns explaining their ideas to each other (all students must share).
• The students discuss what their consensus view might be and write their consensus view in the middle.

Have students come together at the end to share their definitions of these wave terms.

A great way to start any physics-related unit is with the STEP UP Careers in Physics lesson. This lesson covers careers one can do with a physics degree, particularly those that help solve societal problems. It helps students assess their personal values in relation to a career in physics, examine profiles of professionals with physics degrees, and envision themselves in a physics career.

Suggested STEP UP Everyday Actions to incorporate into the activity:

• When pairing students, try to have male/female partners and invite female students to share their ideas first.
• As you put students into groups, consider having females or students from underrepresented backgrounds take the leadership role.
• Take note of female participation. If they seem to be only receiving direction and following along, elevate their voice by asking them a question about their experiment.

Consider using whiteboards so students have time to work through their ideas and brainstorm before saying them out loud.

As students experiment, roam around the room to listen in on discussion and notice experiment techniques. If needed, stop the class and call over to a certain group that has hit on an important concept.

Consider using the RIP protocol (Research, Instruct, Plan) for lab group visits and conferring.

Consider culturally responsive tools and strategies and/or open-ended reflection questions to help push student thinking, evidence tracking, and connections to their lives.

Ask students if they notice that the waves created from one end of the Slinky get reflected and will bounce back. These reflected waves can interfere with the waves made.

If the waves sent out match the amplitude and frequency of the waves being reflected from the far end of the Slinky, you’ll end up creating a standing wave pattern — a wave that appears moving up and down, but not across the length of the Slinky.

These standing waves occur at different frequencies, so it’s possible to make multiple “harmonics.” We’ve been able to create six different harmonics on this Slinky. Maybe your students will be able to shake the end of the Slinky fast enough to get to the seventh harmonic.

For a visual of what these different harmonics look like, view the Physics Classroom' tutorial .

A common misconception is that the first harmonic is one complete wave. But because it’s a crest (top of a wave) that oscillates and becomes a trough (bottom of a wave), over and over again, it’s only ever ½ of a full wave. You need a crest and a trough at the same time to make one complete wave.

• 1st harmonic = ½ a wave
• 2nd harmonic = 1 wave
• 3rd harmonic = 1 ½ waves
• 4th harmonic = 2 waves
• 5th harmonic = 2 ½ waves

Make sure the students rotate roles and everyone gets a chance at being the wave-maker. They will notice that if they shake the Slinky faster, they will get more waves on the Slinky (a higher frequency of waves) and the waves are shorter in length and vice versa.

You can use your smartphone or iPad for taking slow-motion videos, allowing students to take videos of their Slinky’s motion so they can record/stop/rewind and use this as a tool for discussion with their lab partners.

Continue to listen in on each group’s discussion, and answer as few questions as possible. Even if a group is off a little, they will have a chance to work out these stuck points later during the discussion.

Mix the groups so that one student from each group is now paired with a student from another group. Have them write down an answer to the question:

How would you describe what a wave is to someone who was absent from class today? Use all the terms from your whiteboard in your explanation.

After students have had a chance to discuss key ideas from the lesson and complete their description of a wave, you can now clarify and give concise definitions of all the terminology they experimented with.

Have students draw and describe when they saw waves with:

• Different amplitudes
• Different wavelengths

What did you have to do to get the Slinky to change amplitude and wavelength? How do you think this relates to light waves?

Introduce the PhysicsQuest 23: Making Waves Physics Career and Concept Map and allow students to read through and discuss the careers that use this content. Extend their thinking with research about these careers if time allows.

• A guitar is an instrument that uses mechanical waves in order to produce music. Using what you learned in this lab, write a letter to a friend explaining how a guitar produces music. Feel free to include drawings and diagrams as well.
• https://serpmedia.org/scigen/e4.3b.html
• https://serpmedia.org/scigen/e4.3.html
• If engineering challenges have a time constraint, students are allowed to keep iterating and developing their ideas outside of class time and continue to participate in the challenge at a later date.
• Watch this Listen to Light video and see what lasers sound like!

Real-world situations/connections can be used as is, or changed to better fit a student’s own community and cultural context.

Longitudinal waves and guitar strings

Wave on a string, physicists to-go.

Sign up for Physicists To-Go to have a scientist talk to your students

Women in physics

This lesson introduces the underrepresentation of women in physics and the role of implicit bias and cultural stereotypes. Helps students examine the conditions for women in physics and helps students discuss gender issues, gendered professions, and personal experiences to neutralize the effect of stereotypes and bias.

• MS-PS4-1 Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
• 4-PS4-1 Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.
• MS-PS4-2 Develop and use a model to describe how waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

Created by Cherie Bornhorst, MEd, and Little Shop of Physics along with Nicole Schrode, MEd, and Claudia Fracchiolla, PhD, of APS Public Engagement

Reviewed by Summer Chrisman, MEd, Tamia Williams, MSt, Chris Irwin

Extensions by Jenna Tempkin

Formatted by Sierra Crandell, MEd, partially funded by Eucalyptus Foundation

PhysicsQuest © 2023 by American Physical Society is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

• Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
• NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes

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The Slinky Drop Experiment Analysed

Figure 1: A slinky, the subject of the slinky drop experiment. Attribution: Roger McLassus. CC BY-SA

The slinky drop is a rather simple experiment. In its most basic form, it requires only a popular toy for children, a stable hand, and a keen eye. For a better view, using a modern smartphone to capture a video of the experiment also helps to capture the falling slinky. Apart from the commonly quoted result, Insight will discuss the evolution of the slinky shape during the drop using only high-school physics: mechanical equilibrium and the conservation of momentum.

Table of Contents

What is The Slinky Drop Experiment?

The slinky drop experiment is exactly what it sounds like:

• Support a slinky at one of its ends. Let the rest of it hang freely under gravity until it has reached equilibrium.
• Let go of the slinky!
• Observe how it falls under the influence of gravity and internal forces. Pay particular note to the motion of the lower end.

The result of the experiment is quite stunning and surprising to many. If you wish to experiment yourself before we go any further, stop reading now!

Immediately after release, the lower slinky end remains motionless for some time. This lasts until the disturbance created by releasing the upper end reaches the lower end. If you did not have the means or will to experiment yourself, there is a popular video by Veritasium:

The explanation for the lower end remaining stationary is in the video, but we summarise it for completeness: While the segment of slinky just above the end remains stretched, it acts on the end part with the same force as before the drop. This is exactly the force required to balance gravity as the slinky was released from equilibrium. As a result, the lower part remains stationary until the disturbance reaches it. It just does not matter what happens higher up in the slinky until the disturbance passes.

Analyzing the Slinky Drop

While the explanation is uncontroversial, there is some ambiguity like the disturbance. Some sources seem to suggest that a regular compression wave travels down the slinky. However, there are several issues with such a model, including not matching the slinky shape during the fall very well. In some sense, this is great news! To truly understand such a wave we would have to derive and solve the wave equation for the slinky. This is a task that would be suitable for second or third-year students in university physics.

Instead of a regular compression wave and solving the wave equation, the physics of the slinky drop is relatively simple. Indeed, a pretty good model can be understood using the basic concepts of high school physics. The analysis below first introduces the setup of the mathematical framework. It then continues to discuss the equilibrium shape of the slinky and finally discusses the dynamics of the drop.

Figure 2: Setup of the slinky description. The left slinky has its rest length ##\ell## and the right one hangs under the influence of gravity. The red dot represents the same material point in both cases.

We model the slinky as an elastic spring of rest length ##\ell## and mass ##m##. We introduce a vertical coordinate ##z## such that the upper end of the slinky is held at ##z = 0## and the coordinate increases in the down direction. Furthermore, we introduce ##s## as a coordinate describing the fraction of the slinky above a particular point. In the absence of gravity, the slinky would be at rest. The position ##z(s)## of a point on the string is then: $$z(s) = \ell s$$ The position ##z(s)## when stretched is instead generally on the form $$z(s) = \ell s + u(s).$$ Here, ##u(s)## is the displacement from the rest position and it will be our focus from now on. A graphical representation of the setup is shown in Figure 2.

The Slinky in Equilibrium

According to Hooke’s law, the tension ##T(s)## in the slinky at string fraction ##s## is proportional to the strain ##u'(s)##. Mathematically, this implies that $$T(s) = \alpha u'(s),$$ with ##\alpha## being a constant. To find the equilibrium for the hanging slinky, we can now make a free-body diagram of the slinky part underneath ##s##.

Two forces are acting on this part: the force ##T(s)## due to tension and gravity. With the mass underneath ##s## being given by ##m(1-s)## and the forces balancing each other, we must have $$T(s) = \alpha u'(s) = mg(1-s).$$ Integrating this and using ##u(0) = 0## (as the upper end is fixed at ##z = 0##) leads to $$u(s) = \frac{mg}{\alpha} s\left( 1 – \frac s2\right) = 2Ls\left( 1 – \frac s2\right) \equiv u_0(s).$$ In the above the new constant ##L = u(1) = mg/2\alpha##, which is the total elongation of the slinky in equilibrium, has been introduced.

Two Sections of the Slinky

Once released, the upper part of the slinky starts falling immediately. The lower part remains stationary until the disturbance reaches it. The video capture of a dropping slinky suggests that the upper part moves as one, essentially in the slinky’s rest configuration, once the disturbance has passed. This suggests that the part above the disturbance front continuously collides inelastically with the next part of the slinky.

Describing the above mathematically, let ##s = \sigma(t)## be the position of the front of the disturbance a time ##t## after the drop. The slinky displacement ##u(s,t)## now also depends on ##t## and is on the form $$u(s,t) = u_0(\max(s,\sigma(t))).$$ In other words, the part ##s < \sigma(t)## is falling with the same displacement while the part ##s > \sigma(t)## remains stationary.

The velocity of the slinky at ##s## for the part above ##\sigma(t)## takes the form $$v(t) = \frac{d}{dt} u_0(\sigma(t)) = \sigma'(t) u’_0(\sigma(t))  = 2L\sigma'(t)(1-\sigma(t)).$$ Correspondingly, the momentum of that part – and therefore also the total momentum of the slinky – is $$p = m\sigma v = 2mL\sigma’ \sigma(1-\sigma),$$ where we have suppressed the time dependence for readability.

The Slinky and Gravity

The only external force acting on the slinky during the drop is gravity. It acts with a total force ##mg## at all times. After time ##t##, the total momentum in the slinky is therefore ##p = mgt##. Equating the two expressions for the slinky momentum leads to $$\sigma’\sigma(1-\sigma) = \frac{gt}{2L}.$$ Integrating both sides with respect to ##t##, the relation between ##\sigma## and ##t## becomes $$\sigma^2 \left(\frac 12 – \frac \sigma 3\right) = \frac{gt^2}{4L}.$$

Finding a closed-form expression for ##\sigma(t)## requires finding the roots of a third-order polynomial. We will not do this here. However, only one of the roots will be in the range ##0 \leq \sigma(t) \leq 1##. As a curiosity, for small ##t## we find that $$\sigma(t) \simeq t \sqrt{\frac{g}{2L}}.$$ Consequently, $$v(0) = 2L \sigma'(0) = \sqrt{2Lg}$$ meaning that the disturbance moves at a non-zero speed from the beginning of the drop.

Illustrating the Drop

Figure 3: The model prediction for the shape of the slinky during the drop at different times. Units are arbitrary and the last slinky shows the fully contracted slinky. The model prediction for later times is this slinky simply continues to fall.

Luckily, a computer can easily find the root for us to illustrate the slinky shape during the drop as shown in Figure 3. From the figure, we can also see the characteristic effect of the slinky bunching up from the top as it continues to fall.

We can also note that the disturbance reaches ##\sigma(t) = 1## when $$t = \sqrt{\frac{2L}{3g}}.$$ It is easy to verify that this is exactly the time required for the center of mass to fall past the lower end of the slinky.

Concluding Remarks

As with any mathematical model of a physical system, the model above has its limitations. Although it provides a pretty good fit to the slinky evolution in general, it also fails to reproduce some effects. For example:

• The full slinky motion is described as one-dimensional. A real slinky will inevitably also move in the horizontal direction. The real collisions are never truly one-dimensional. This is particularly noticeable towards the end of the drop.
• The inelastic collisions between the upper and lower parts of the string are rather simplistic. While it does give a decent description of the slinky, it will not occur as abruptly. In this sense, the model is rather coarse.

Note that what is described here is a disturbance that:

• Moves faster than the characteristic wave speed in the slinky. (This can be checked, but is more involved so we leave this out.)
• Has an abrupt change in the density of the slinky windings as the disturbance passes.

These characteristics are the characteristics of a shock wave rather than a compression wave propagating at the local wave speed. Trying to use the wave equation to describe the real slinky evolution is therefore doomed to failure.

Additional Reading and References

The exposition above closely follows the work of Unruh:

• W. G. Unruh, The falling slinky , arXiv:1110.4368

Unruh uses different notation and conventions, but the essentials are the same.

The slinky drop experiment was first described by Calkin:

• M. G. Calkin, Motion of a falling spring , Am. J. Phys. 63 261 (1993)

Further analyses with more intricate modeling can be found in the following papers (a selection):

• R. J. Vanderbei, The Falling Slinky , The American Mathematical Monthly, 124:1, 24-36 (2017)
• R. C. Cross, M. S. Wheatland, Modeling a falling slinky, Am. J. Phys. 80 1051 (2012)
• P. Hatchell, Falling non-harmonic Slinkys , arXiv:2206.05665

For an example of suggested related educational activities, see:

• C. Berggren, P. Gandhi, J. A. Livezey, R. Olf, A Tale of Two Slinkies: Learning about Model Building in a Student-Driven Classroom , The Physics Teacher 56 134 (2018)

Professor in theoretical astroparticle physics. He did his thesis on phenomenological neutrino physics and is currently also working with different aspects of dark matter as well as physics beyond the Standard Model. Author of “Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering” (see Insight “The Birth of a Textbook”). A member at Physics Forums since 2014.

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pines-demon said Oh you beat me to it! It seems that you finally used my suggestion of using the displacement field! I have a similar solution that I might share later.

No, the displacement field is still the dependent variable. The slinky fraction ##s## is the independent material variable. This is the way I did it from the beginning.

The only addition is a non-zero rest length of the slinky. Otherwise the analysis is the same as my post #5 of that thread, just a bit more polished.

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Springs and Slinkies

Activity length, activity type, demonstration.

In this activity, students will understand how potential energy is stored and converted by observing a slinky and a spring in action.

Elastic potential energy is energy stored in objects by tension (like a stretched rubber band) or compression (when you squeeze a spring).

When the potential energy is 'released', it is converted to the energy of motion, also known as  kinetic energy . This is the energy you see when the rubber band or spring pops back to its original shape. 

Vocabulary: Compression: Any of the forces applied towards the centre of structural objects. An engineering term used opposite to tension.

Te nsion: A force tending to stretch or elongate something. A term used opposite to compression.

Use a model to explain how potential energy transfers to kinetic energy.

Per Class or Group: Slinkies 3 or 4 large commercial springs several small spings (optional: they can be collected from used pens) small weights in regular increments (5 g, 10 g, 15 g, etc.)

Key Questions

• What happens to the potential energy stored in the stretched Slinky when we let go of it?
• If we stretch the Slinky even further, do you think it will spring back faster or slower? Why?
• What happens to the springs when we attach the weights to them? Which spring stretches the furthest?
• Which spring stores the most potential energy?
• Which spring would spring back the fastest if the weight were taken off? Why do you think so?

Part 1: Demonstrate, or have students demonstrate, the following with each of the items.

Part 2: Lead your students in a discussion about potential and kinetic energy.

Teacher Tip: Encourage students to ask questions, make predictions, and discover the conclusions themselves.

• Have 2 volunteers hold either end of one Slinky and stretch the Slinky by slowly backing away from one another. Watch what happens when it’s released.
• Hold up the springs and observe what happens as you hook the small weights (of varying mass) to each.
• Where there any unintended energy conversions? What where they?

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Slinky physics.

What is it about a Slinky that causes it to walk down the steps? This simple experiment is a perfect illustration of both gravity and momentum. Your kid will see how the spring coil keeps moving after you let it go and determine if the slope affects how fast the Slinky moves.

What You Need:

• Small plywood ramp or materials to build one
• Pen or Pencil

What You Do:

• Place one end of the Slinky on the top step of a staircase and hold that end in place while you stretch out the other end and place it on the next step from the top.
• Think about your understanding of gravity and momentum. If you don't know much about these concepts, do some research.
• What do you think might happen with the Slinky on a shallow slope versus the steeper slope of the staircase? Write down what you think is going to happen. This prediction is called a hypothesis.
• Set the Slinky up at the top of the stairs, and as you let it go, start the stopwatch.
• Observe how quickly and how far down the steps the Slinky moves.
• Stop the stopwatch when the Slinky ends its movement.
• Next, move to the ramp with the shallow incline. You may need to build your own ramps with a piece of plywood and several books stacked under one end of the plywood. Try to keep the slope around 25 degrees.
• Start the stopwatch and set the Slinky in motion. Stop the stopwatch when the Slinky ceases moving and then record your observations.

Gravity and the momentum from the Slinky itself differs depending on the angle of travel. If the Slinky walks down a steep slope, such as a staircase, it travels faster because gravity pulls it down with greater force. When the Slinky walks down a gentler slope, it will move more slowly, but will walk farther because the momentum is steady.

Can't get enough Slinky physics? Try the experiment with different sizes of Slinky and different slopes. Do you think the Slinky will move faster or slower if you use a smaller coil? What will happen if you use a plastic Slinky instead of a metal one? Create a new hypothesis each time you change something and see if you guessed correctly.

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Slinky shake experiment

Follow FizzicsEd 150 Science Experiments:

You will need:

• One metal slinky
• Two people and a bit of room

• Instruction

Two people hold the ends of a slinky and walk about five meters apart.

One person moves the slinky end up and down whilst the other person holds their end steady.

Watch the slinky – how many waves form in between the two people?

What happens if you go faster or slower? How many ways can you make the wave travel?

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• What is amplitude?
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Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more

Why Does This Happen?

Sound energy travels in waves along a material. This material vibrates so that the energy can move from one place to another. Look at the animation below:

Animation by Dr Dan Russell

Notice that the particles move up and down, but they don’t travel with the wave itself? This illustrates the important point that most waves are an energy transfer, not a material transfer. Think of people standing in a line and jumping up and down:

The people dont move with the wave, but they help to pass the wave along. This type of wave is known as a transverse wave .

There are a number of waves that can be created by the slinky. One of which is a standing wave . Standing waves can be found in a tube that has been hit on a surface. In this wave some of the slinky was moving rapidly and some locations were not moving at all. The locations that were not moving are known as nodes . The locations that move the most are known as antinodes .

Sound that radiates through the air (or liquids) travels in a more complex fashion. The animation above represents a transverse wave where the material up and down only. See below for another demonstration that represents sound travelling through air.

Try stretching the slinky between two people. One person now does short, sharp, pushing motions forwards with their slinky end toward the other person. You should see the spring send pulses of ‘contracted spring’ backwards and forwards throughout the slinky. This is more like how sound travels through air. Note that as the ‘contracted pulse’ moves backwards and forwards the slinky does the same movement, i.e. moving backwards and forwards locally as well. This represents kinetic (moving) energy being passed from air molecule to air molecule, allowing the sound to move through the air with small local disturbances in the air as the sound passes through the area. See below for an animation:

Look at the animation and pick a ‘particle’ to observe. This is called a longitudinal wave. Think of when a deep, low, sound from a loud stereo or subwoofer ‘hits’ your chest. The local air surrounding your body pushes into you as the energy from the waves reaches you. Of course, this doesn’t mean that ALL of the air around the stereo moved to where you are standing 30 metres away, just that the energy propagating through the air disturbed that air locally around you. In essence, air (or liquid) is continually introduced and removed from the local area.

Check out the animation below from a single point source of sound, with the sound energy travelling radially around the sound source, similar to what happens with a boxed loudspeaker.

Variables to test

More on variables here

• Try a plastic slinky instead.
• How many standing waves can you form as you speed up shaking the slinky?
• What happens if you try a different type of spring?
• If you shake the slinky side to side, doe the waves still form?

Learn more!

From frequency & amplitude through to echoes & wave distortions, we’ve got your unit on sound covered! Get in touch with FizzicsEd to find out how we can work with your class.

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Experiment #19 from Physics with Video Analysis

Introduction

A matter wave is different from a moving particle because it is a temporary disturbance that moves through a medium such as a spring, water, or a metal bar. The disturbance can move between two locations without the matter between the locations.

In this activity you’ll be considering disturbances that move along a Slinky that is stretched and then fixed at each end. There are two types of disturbances that can travel along a stretched Slinky: [1] A few coils at one end can be pulled quickly in a direction that is perpendicular or transverse to the line of stretched coils and released; or [2] A few coils at one end can be bunched together in a longitudinal direction along the line of stretched coils and released.

In this activity, you will

• Study movies that show transverse and longitudinal disturbances moving along a stretched Slinky lying on a very slick (low friction) floor.
• Think about the process by which the disturbances propagate along the Slinky, measure the wave speeds, and consider what properties of the Slinky will affect the speed of the waves.

Sensors and Equipment

This experiment features the following sensors and equipment. Additional equipment may be required.

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This experiment is #19 of Physics with Video Analysis . The experiment in the book includes student instructions as well as instructor information for set up, helpful hints, and sample graphs and data.

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Slinky drop

This video shows how a slinky, which is being held at the top with its bottom freely dangling, falls when released.

Students are asked to predict what happens when the slinky is released.  Does the top fall first? Does the bottom fall first? Do both ends fall together or does the centre of the slinky remain at rest with top and bottom ends moving towards each other?

A slow motion video shows that the bottom end stays stationary while the top moves towards it.  As they meet the collapsed slinky then moves towards the ground. This happens because the bottom end has balanced forces acting upon it (gravity pulling it down and tension in the spring pulling it up). Only when the top meets the bottom does the change in force make the whole slinky move downwards. This delay is due to the relatively slow speed of the compression wave propagating through the spring.

Slinky drop - answer

This video explains why the slinky falls in the way it does.

Slinky drop - extension

This video demonstrates the slinky drop experiment with a tennis ball attached to the bottom of the slinky.  It explains why the same motion is seen in terms of the balanced forces experienced by the bottom of the slinky.

Only when the top of the slinky reached the bottom does the whole slinky begin to fall.  This is because it’s at this point that the information about changes in force reach the bottom.

Slinky drop - slow motion

This video shows how a stretched slinky moves when its top is released.  The explanation given in previous videos is extended to show that the same motion is seen if the extended slinky is hit by a horizontal force to collapse it.

How does a slinky fall?

This video shows a slinky being dropped with a tennis ball attached to its bottom. The same motion is observed because the bottom has balanced forces.  It’s at the top where forces have changed.

Awesome HD slinky drop - slow motion

 This video shows a slinky being released from its top in slow motion.  The motion is also modelled using a computer.

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on this page for a companion experiment using dynamics trolleys to model a dispersive system, as opposed to the continuous system represented by a Slinky. This item is part of a much larger collection of physics/astronomy experiments, sponsored by the UK's Institute of Physics and funded by the Nuffield Curriculum Centre. Subjects Levels Resource Types General Physics Oscillations & Waves Intended Users Formats Ratings Want to rate this material? Primary Details Citation formats. %Q Nuffield Curriculum Centre %T Practical Physics:  Pulses and continuous waves with a Slinky spring %D October 27, 2007 %U https://spark.iop.org/collections/variety-waves#pulses-and-continuous-waves-slinky-spring %O text/html %0 Electronic Source %A Nuffield Curriculum Centre, %D October 27, 2007 %T Practical Physics:  Pulses and continuous waves with a Slinky spring %V 2024 %N 13 September 2024 %8 October 27, 2007 %9 text/html %U https://spark.iop.org/collections/variety-waves#pulses-and-continuous-waves-slinky-spring The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual . The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References . The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation . The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ . Shared Folders (6) This resource is stored in 6 shared folders. You must login to access shared folders. Related Materials (1) Practical physics: pulses and continuous waves with a slinky spring :. A companion experiment using dynamics trolleys to produce transverse and longitudinal waves, allowing students to compare wave movement in a different system. Supplements Make a Comment Relate this resource Related Materials Practical Physics: Waves with Trolleys See details... Similar Materials LivePhoto Physics: Wave Pulse Propagation on a Slinky Spring Practical Physics: Variety of Waves FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM curriculum for educators everywhere! Find more at TeachEngineering.org . TeachEngineering Hanging Around: Gravity and Slinky Spring Scales Hands-on Activity Hanging Around: Gravity and Slinky Spring Scales Grade Level: 6 (5-7) Time Required: 45 minutes Expendable Cost/Group: US $5.00 Group Size: 2 Activity Dependency: None Associated Informal Learning Activity: Hanging Around: Gravity and Slinky Spring Scales Subject Areas: Physical Science, Physics NGSS Performance Expectations: Curriculum in this Unit Units serve as guides to a particular content or subject area. Nested under units are lessons (in purple) and hands-on activities (in blue). Note that not all lessons and activities will exist under a unit, and instead may exist as "standalone" curriculum. How Do Things Fall? Riding the Gravity Wave Heavy Helicopters Blow-and-Go Parachute You Are There... First Flight Unit Lesson Activity TE Newsletter Engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, more curriculum like this, introduction/motivation, troubleshooting tips, activity extensions, user comments & tips. Engineers must balance the relationship between weight of materials and gravity in their designs. Civil engineers design structures, such as bridges and tall buildings, making material choices that assure they will not fall down. Aeronautical engineers design light yet strong airplanes and rockets with enough power and fuel to lift away from the pull of gravity. Environmental engineers analyze the way water flows down a river canyon or the effect of forces pushing against a storage tank's wall. After this activity, students should be able to Explain that weight is a comparison of the force of gravity pulling on objects with different masses. Collect and analyze data. Make predictions from observed data. Describe why engineers must balance the relationship between weight of materials and gravity in their designs. Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc . Ngss: next generation science standards - science. NGSS Performance Expectation MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object's motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object. (Grades 6 - 8) Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback! This activity focuses on the following aspects of NGSS: Science & Engineering Practices Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts Plan an investigation individually and collaboratively, and in the design: identify independent and dependent variables and controls, what tools are needed to do the gathering, how measurements will be recorded, and how many data are needed to support a claim. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! The motion of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it; if the total force on the object is not zero, its motion will change. The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion. For any given object, a larger force causes a larger change in motion. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! All positions of objects and the directions of forces and motions must be described in an arbitrarily chosen reference frame and arbitrarily chosen units of size. In order to share information with other people, these choices must also be shared. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Explanations of stability and change in natural or designed systems can be constructed by examining the changes over time and forces at different scales. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! NGSS Performance Expectation MS-PS2-4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects. (Grades 6 - 8) Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback! This activity focuses on the following aspects of NGSS: Science & Engineering Practices Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts Construct and present oral and written arguments supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support or refute an explanation or a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Gravitational forces are always attractive. There is a gravitational force between any two masses, but it is very small except when one or both of the objects have large mass—e.g., Earth and the sun. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions—such as inputs, processes and outputs—and energy and matter flows within systems. Alignment agreement: Thanks for your feedback! Common Core State Standards - Math View aligned curriculum Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback! International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology State standards, colorado - math, colorado - science. Each group needs: 1 mini slinky or other lightweight spring,  available online 1 paper cup 25 cm of string a few books or another heavy object to hold 1 ruler down on a table or desk 6 small objects with identical weights, such as pennies, quarters or marbles The force of gravity acts upon all matter, everywhere. However, gravity pulls more strongly on an object that has more mass than on an object with less mass. We call the force of gravity acting upon mass, weight . Weight is a comparison of how strongly gravity pulls on one object or another. For example, when we say that something weighs 2 pounds or 2 kilograms, it means that gravity is pulling on that object two times as strongly as it does on something that ways 1 pound or 1 kilogram. "Pound" and "kilogram" are just the unit names we give to certain amounts of gravitational pull. Measuring weight, then, is simply a matter of comparing the pull of gravity on different objects. Historically, people have compared the weight of unknown things to different specific objects known as standard weights . People have used special rocks or stones as standard weights to compare to heavy objects, and special seeds or nuts as standard weights to compare to lighter objects. Today, we compare weights to a standard kilogram and a standard pound, which are special pieces of metal kept in the U.K. Copies of the standard kilogram and the standard pound are kept at different places all over the world, including at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the U.S. Comparing the force of gravity on different objects (weighing things) is a really useful thing to do. Aeronautical engineers understand how the force of gravity works so that they can design airplanes and rockets; Civil engineers understand gravity so that they can design tall buildings and bridges that will not fall down; and environmental engineers understand gravity so that they can analyze the way water flows down a river canyon or the forces pushing against a storage tank's wall. In fact, every kind of engineer uses an understanding of gravity to do their work! Because understanding gravity is so important to engineers, engineers have devised many interesting ways to measure the force of gravity acting upon different objects. In this activity, we will engineer a tool to measure the force of gravity, and use that tool to examine gravity's pull on small objects. Before the Activity Gather materials. Read through all the activity steps and prepare a few relevant questions. With the Students Direct each student team to make its own spring scaby le following these steps: Place a ruler on the edge of a table or desk so that it extends past the edge. Stack enough books on the ruler to hold it down securely. Tape the end coil of a plastic slinky or other lightweight spring to the end of the ruler extending over the edge of the tabletop. It is best if the slinky is not too far away from the edge of the table. Punch holes in opposite sides of a 5-ounce paper cup near the top edge of the cup. Tie each end of a short piece of string (25 cm) to one of the holes, making a string handle for the cup. Hang the string handle onto the last coil at the bottom of the spring. Tape a sheet of plain white paper to the side of the table near the bottom of the cup. Tape a short pencil (about 5 cm) to the side of the cup so that the point faces the paper. Using a marker, make a short, horizontal line on the paper at the place that the pencil is pointing to, and label it "0." Drop one of the light objects (such as a penny, marble, quarter) into the cup. After the cup stops bouncing, make a line to show the pencil's new position and label it "1." One by one, drop each of six differing objects into the cup. Each time, mark the position of the pencil and label the mark with the number of objects. Measure and record the distance between each mark and the starting position. Predict the distance to the next mark if you were to drop a seventh heavier object. Conduct the post-activity toss a question assessment activity as described in the Assessment section. Pre-Activity Assessment Brainstorming: In small groups, have students to engage in open discussion. Remind them that no idea or suggestion is "silly." All ideas should be respectfully hears. Ask students to think of examples that show how different objects are affected by gravity. (Possible examples: a baseball, a building being demolished, a high jumper, etc.) Activity Embedded Assessment Data Recording: As directed in the Procedure section, each time a new object is dropped in the cup, have students mark the new position of the pencil, label the mark with the number of objects, and measure the distance from the starting position to the new mark.  Prediction: Ask students to predict where the pencil would have pointed if they had added a seventh heavier object into the cup. (Answer: It would have been below the last mark.) Post-Activity Assessment Graphing: Have students create a plot showing the distance that each object pulled the spring. Discuss why certain objects pull the spring further than others. (Answer: Weight differences.) Toss-a-Question: Provide students with a list of questions (see below) without answers. Have them work in groups and toss a ball or wad of paper back and forth. The student with the ball asks a question and then tosses the ball to someone else to answer. If a student does not know the answer, s/he tosses the ball onward until someone gets it. Review the answers at the end. Possible questions/answers: What does this activity teach you about weight? (Answer: Weight is a comparison of the force of gravity pulling on objects with different masses.) What can you conclude about how a spring scale works? (Answer: a spring scale is stretched more by objects with larger masses. We can compare the amount it stretches when the mass is a "standard weight" with the amount it stretches when the weight is unknown to measure the weight.) What kind of objects would your scale be good for measuring? (Answer: Similar, lightweight objects.) Would the scale work on other planets? (Answer: Yes) How would it be different? (Answer: The force of gravity is different on other planets [see the Activity Extension section], so the spring would not be pulled by the same amount. For a given object, the spring will stretch more on some planets [such as Jupiter] and less other places [such as the moon].) The scale works best in the middle of the spring's expansion range. So, choose objects to weigh that are heavy enough to stretch the spring a little bit, but not so heavy that the spring is stretched out all the way. If the spring is too long for the table and the cup hits the ground, shorten it by putting the ruler through the middle of the spring rather than taping the end of the spring to the ruler. It is important that the spring is attached to the ruler at the same place for all the measurements. Do not change the spring midway through measuring the six items. Weight is not the same everywhere! Because different planets have more or less mass than Earth, they have different gravity forces. So, weight (the measurement of the force of gravity pulling on mass) changes from one planet to another. If you visited another planet, your size would not change because your body mass (your skin, bones, and all the other particles that make up your body) would still be the same. However, you would not weigh the same, because the force of gravity would be pulling on your mass by a different amount than it does on Earth! Find your weight on other planets at: https://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/solar-system/weight See a history of standardized weights and measures at: https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/bulletin/01/nbsbulletinv1n3p365_A2b.pdf The purpose of this lesson is to teach students how a spacecraft gets from the surface of the Earth to Mars. Students first investigate rockets and how they are able to get us into space. Finally, the nature of an orbit is discussed as well as how orbits enable us to get from planet to planet — spec... Students are introduced to Newton's second law of motion: force = mass x acceleration. Both the mathematical equation and physical examples are discussed, including Atwood's Machine to illustrate the principle. Students come to understand that an object's acceleration depends on its mass and the str... Students build spring scales and learn about the concept of weight. Activity adapted from: http://swift.sonoma.edu/program/witn_show/04-27-01.html. Contributors Supporting program, acknowledgements. The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under grants from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, and National Science Foundation (GK-12 grant no 0338326). However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government. Last modified: August 16, 2023 TPC and eLearning What's NEW at TPC? 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Search Please fill out this field. Newsletters Sweepstakes 22 Unexpected Oversized Blazer Outfit Ideas That Score Major Style Points Gotham / Getty Images Not since the '80s has oversized outerwear been so popular—and blazers are no exception. Despite its laid-back vibes and slouchy fit, an oversized blazer is perfectly suited for the office. Sure, a blazer with wildly exaggerated shoulder pads might be too costume-y for a morning meeting, but a more streamlined silhouette is perfectly professional. This trending piece can work equally as well for formal occasions and more casual occasions ones. Whether making the most of your favorite summer dresses in cooler temps or pairing it with fall's biggest fashion trends, an oversized blazer does it all. Even better, you don't have to splurge to get in on this fashion trend. Since a bigger fit is the point, a trip to the menswear section of your local thrift store can have you stepping out in high-fashion oversized blazer outfits in no time. As for what to wear with an oversized blazer, that's player's choice.  From off-duty to red-carpet ready—and every dress code in between—there are plenty of ways to work an oversized blazer into your wardrobe rotation, including the 22 outfits below. With Baggy Belted Jeans Pierre Suu/Getty Images Cinch your favorite baggy jeans with a classic black belt as the base for this elevated yet casual oversized blazer 'fit. A simple chain necklace with a crisp, tucked-in tee delivers on the basics, just with better energy, and a chocolate brown oversized blazer in velvet or suede completes the look. Jason Howard/Getty Images For a look that's comfy and sleek, turn your oversized blazer into an oversized suit with a pair of  wide-leg satin trousers . This look is easiest to pull off if your blazer is an easily matched neutral color like black or navy, but don't be afraid to try a pastel à la  Eva Longoria . With Statement Boots Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images An LBD and black oversized blazer are the perfect foundation for any outfit. Follow Rita Ora 's lead and add a belt to create an A-line silhouette. Then finish with thigh-high boots for the ultimate statement-making look. With a Vampy Pencil Skirt Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images Wearing an oversized blazer doesn't automatically mean you'll be swimming in material. Show off your figure by wearing a fitted pencil skirt and silky top underneath your outerwear. The resulting look is slouchy—but not sloppy—and oozes '80s decadence. With Flowy Separates Christian Vierig/Getty Images The exaggerated lines of an oversized blazer work wonders on flowy separates. Rather than looking beachy when you don a silky maxi skirt and flowing sleeveless top, you'll look put together and glamorous with a boxy blazer on top. With a Mod Mini Dress Edward Berthelot/Getty Images Adding a big blazer is a great way to modernize a look that might otherwise feel too tween or costume-y. In the case of a mod mini dress, an oversized blazer softens the overall sweetness of the dress and adds a dash of menswear edge. For a Pop of Color If you're unsure how to work bright colors into a streamlined, all-black wardrobe, this is the look for you. A vibrant, oversized blazer in a bold color functions as the cherry on top of an already A+ all-black 'fit and will make you look like a color theory fashion genius. With a Maxi Dress There's no need to abandon your favorite slinky maxi tank dress when you feel a chill in the air. Instead, toss on an oversized layer for a fresh fall look. Not only is the silhouette striking, but you'll have the coverage you need to stay warm. Gotham/Getty Images Oversized blazers are having a moment, as are  oversized leather jackets —so why not combine the two trends with an oversized leather blazer?  Emily Ratajkowski  shows us how it's done by coordinating hers with nothing more than a basic white tee, jeans, and booties. With Athleisure Getty Images Spice up your standard athleisure look by adding an oversized blazer. Although sweats and a bralette might seem like they would clash with a business-adjacent blazer, the two contrasting aesthetics are actually quite complementary. As a Shorts Suit Karwai Tang/Getty Images Playing up cropped and oversized fits is always fun with businesswear, as illustrated by this look on Nikkita Chadha. The thigh-skimming shorts add lightness, while the oversized blazer keeps the vibe grounded. With a Patterned Maxi Dress Bryan Bedder/Getty Images Add some structure to your favorite flowing maxi dress by wearing it with an oversized blazer, as  Quinta Brunson  does here. To take this look to the next level, you can also experiment with texture to create even more contrast. With a Crochet Micro Top We love the look of a crochet crop top and shorts. However, if we're craving a bit of coverage—and a touch of sophistication—we reach for an oversized blazer. With Metallic Pants Stephane Cardinale/Getty Images Can't quite commit to a full set of  satin pajamas ? Dip your toe into these silky loungewear waters by pairing a crisp top and satin wide-leg pants with an oversized blazer. For an extra pop, try satin pants in a shade of shimmering metallic. With Cut-Off Shorts A tee and frayed jean shorts are an outfit formula that we'll never tire of. However, in case it's too casual, simply throw on an oversized blazer. In under a minute, you'll have instantly elevated even the most basic summer outfits. Creating your own take on a deconstructed suit with an oversized blazer as the focal point is also a great way to go. You can pull in classic suiting staples like button-down shirts and shades of khaki and navy while subverting other suit tropes by keeping the hemline short and accessories sheer. With a Jumpsuit Rachpoot/Getty Images Oversized blazers can be boxy, which is actually a good thing when paired with a body-hugging jumpsuit. The contrast between the two makes a major fashion statement. With Stirrup Leggings Part of what makes an oversized blazer a standout is that the fit allows its lines to extend further than a regular blazer. Keep the lengthening effect going by adding a pair of heels and stirrup pants. With Fringe We can't all be  Katy Perry , but we can all wear an oversized blazer, suit pants, and a fringe dress in place of a top for some big KP energy. For a slightly toned-down variation, you can skip the pants and opt for just the blazer and fringe dress instead. Over Sweats Give your favorite sweats a business casual—with a major emphasis on the casual—upgrade by adding an oversized blazer, statement sneakers, and a few pieces of simple gold jewelry like Shanina Sheik did here. Voilà, you've got a brunch outfit you don't need to take off your comfy pants for. With Statement Shorts A lightweight oversized blazer makes a perfect spring or summer pairing with vibrant statement shorts. If you've been uncertain about how to style brocade or bold printed shorts, look no further than a simple crop top and roomy blazer in a breezy linen or cotton blend. With Slinky Separates Charles Sykes/Getty Images An oversized blazer adds a menswear edge, not to mention a bit of coverage, to even the slinkiest outfit. Next time you're feelin' yourself, we recommend donning your most daring bra and miniskirt set, tossing on some sheer tights and an oversized blazer, and strutting your stuff. Related Articles 358 IMAGES plastic slinky toy spring stretch coil wave effect pulse pattern force How to Create Transverse Waves with a Slinky Spring Slinky experiment on waves Slinky shake experiment : Fizzics Education Rainbow Spring slinky 1-pack plastic slinky toy spring stretch coil wave effect pulse pattern force VIDEO How Slinky Toy Defy Gravity |😲😲| #shorts Slinky Spring experiment, Bottom block remains at rest #science #fun Experiment with Slinky slinky spring How to make a slinky spring with paper in an (easy way) #slinky #experiment #challenge #funny #papercraft COMMENTS Slinky in Hand: Physics & Waves Science Activity Pull the chairs apart until the line is taut. Optional, rest the slinky on a smooth table top. If you use a table top, use only 1/2 of a plastic slinky, otherwise friction will make the experiments difficult. Grab the ends of the slinky in your hands. Stretch the slinky to between 1 and 2 meters long. 4 Fun Science Activities to try with a Slinky Spring Aside from being huge amounts of fun, the slinky spring is a brilliant and versatile tool for demonstrating important themes in the CAPS curriculum. These themes include matter and materials, waves, sound and light and energy and change. Each of the 4 activities demonstrates a different theme. Some themes are repeated but with increasing ... Pulses and continuous waves with a Slinky spring Continuous waves. Lay the rubber tube or Slinky on the floor or on a bench. Fix one end and make the other end oscillate transversely by hand, with a small amplitude and a frequency of about 5 cycles per second. Impulses at regular time intervals will produce a continuous travelling wave. This is usually clearer with the rubber tubing. Slinking Slinkies Write down your results. Adjust the inclined plane so that it is at a 20-degree angle. Use the protractor to confirm this. Repeat the experiment five times at the 20-degree angle, each time releasing the Slinky from the same spot, timing it and counting its flips. At a 20-degree angle, how long did it take the Slinky to go down the plane, and ... Simple Harmonic Motion in a Spring-Mass System The Slinky is a spring, which follows Hooke's law. Hooke's law states that when a spring is displaced from its equilibrium position, it experiences a restoring force proportional to the displacement from equilibrium and the spring constant: ... For an experiment using a spring-based mechanical model of the human knee, ... Slinky Slinky. The Slinky is a helical spring toy invented by Richard T. James in the early 1940s. It can perform a number of tricks, including travelling down a flight of steps end-over-end as it stretches and re-forms itself with the aid of gravity and its own momentum; and appearing to levitate for a period of time after it has been dropped. These ... Slinking Science: Take a Slinky Toy for a Walk Procedure. • Adjust the inclined plane so that it is at a 15-degree angle. Use the protractor to confirm the angle formed where the base of the plane meets the floor. • Have a helper get ready ... Slinky Waves Experiment Materials Needed for this science experiment: Metal Slinky (a toy spring) Staircase with steps of uniform height (indoor or outdoor) Optional: Tape or string to secure the Slinky; Steps. 1. Choose the Staircase: Select a staircase with steps of uniform height. An indoor or outdoor staircase will work, as long as it provides a consistent and ... Slinkys You'll experiment with the Slinky to understand each of these terms and then use pictures or words to show you understand what each of these words means. During the experiment. Take some time to just play with the Slinkys, because Slinkys are pretty great. At some point, though, you'll probably want to make transverse and longitudinal waves Slinkys Slinkys are an easy and entertaining way to see, feel, and even hear key wave properties. They can be used to model two fundamental categories of waves: transverse and longitudinal. Mechanical waves need a medium to propagate in (as opposed to electromagnetic waves, which do not). In this activity, the Slinky is the medium that the waves travel ... The Slinky Drop Experiment Analysed The slinky drop experiment was first described by Calkin: M. G. Calkin, Motion of a falling spring, Am. J. Phys. 63 261 (1993) Further analyses with more intricate modeling can be found in the following papers (a selection): R. J. Vanderbei, The Falling Slinky, The American Mathematical Monthly, 124:1, 24-36 (2017) Springs and Slinkies In this activity, students will understand how potential energy is stored and converted by observing a slinky and a spring in action.. Elastic potential energy is energy stored in objects by tension (like a stretched rubber band) or compression (when you squeeze a spring).. When the potential energy is 'released', it is converted to the energy of motion, also known as kinetic energy. Slinky Physics What is it about a Slinky that causes it to walk down the steps? This simple experiment is a perfect illustration of both gravity and momentum. Your kid will see how the spring coil keeps moving after you let it go and determine if the slope affects how fast the Slinky moves. Practical Physics: Pulses and continuous waves with a Slinky spring Slinky springs can be easily manipulated to produce both transverse or longitudinal waves, allowing users to compare and contrast them. This experiment explains how to create pulses and continuous waves using both Slinkies and rubber tubing, which produce pulses of different shape. The experiment can be very simple or may be adapted for use in ... Slinky shake experiment : Fizzics Education See below for another demonstration that represents sound travelling through air. Try stretching the slinky between two people. One person now does short, sharp, pushing motions forwards with their slinky end toward the other person. You should see the spring send pulses of 'contracted spring' backwards and forwards throughout the slinky. Slinky Wave Speeds > Experiment 19 from Physics with Video ... A matter wave is different from a moving particle because it is a temporary disturbance that moves through a medium such as a spring, water, or a metal bar. The disturbance can move between two locations without the matter between the locations. In this activity you'll be considering disturbances that move along a Slinky that is stretched and then fixed at each end. There are two types of ... Slinky drop Slinky drop - extension This video demonstrates the slinky drop experiment with a tennis ball attached to the bottom of the slinky. ... This happens because the bottom end has balanced forces acting upon it (gravity pulling it down and tension in the spring pulling it up). Only when the top meets the bottom does the change in force make the ... Transverse and Longitudinal Wave Demonstration A demonstration of the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves using a slinky.. Practical Physics: Pulses and continuous waves with a Slinky spring This is an experiment relating to wave motion appropriate for middle school physical science or high school physics. Slinky springs can be easily manipulated to produce both transverse or longitudinal waves, allowing users to compare and contrast… Hanging Around: Gravity and Slinky Spring Scales Hang the string handle onto the last coil at the bottom of the spring. Tape a sheet of plain white paper to the side of the table near the bottom of the cup. Tape a short pencil (about 5 cm) to the side of the cup so that the point faces the paper. Physics Simulation: Slinky Lab The Slinky Lab Simulation provides the user with a virtual slinky. The slinky consists of a collection of dots to represent its coils. Any individual dot can be grabbed at one location and shook back and forth to create vibrations. The vibrations travel through the slinky from the location where it is shook to the ends and then back. Slinkys and Soundwaves Make sure to check out new videos in the NMC Learning at Home Series.Using a slinky to understand sound waves. The wave animation was created by Dan Russell.... NCERT Class 9 Science Lab Manual Wave: A wave is a disturbance that moves through a medium when the particles of the medium set neighbouring particles into motion by transfer of energy. Slinky: A slinky is a long spring which is flexible and has appreciable elasticity. Pulse: A wave produced by a single disturbance in a medium is known as pulse. Velocity of pulse =\(\quad \frac { Total\quad distance\quad travelled\quad by ... Slinky Spring বাতাসে ভেসে থাকে কেন? No gravity on Slinky Spring No gravity on Slinky Spring!!! জয়েন করো আমাদের অফিসিয়াল গ্রুপে- https://www.facebook.com/groups ... 22 Oversized Blazer Outfit Ideas to Try Celebrities are obsessed with oversized blazers, and you should be, too. Here are 22 oversized blazer outfit ideas, taking style cues from fashion mavens and stars like Hailey Bieber, Rita Ora ... essay homework paper phd project resume review speech study thesis