The natural angular frequency of an ideal mass-spring oscillator depends on stiffness divided by mass.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Read time
5 min
Prerequisites
Basic algebra, consistent units, and the stated model assumptions
Source
OpenStax, College Physics 2e, §16.2 (Paul Peter Urone and Roger Hinrichs)OpenFormulaGraph equation reference; FormuLab adaptation details and license are provided below.
Adapted from OpenFormulaGraph, under CC BY 4.0.
FormuLab adapted wording, notation, applicability conditions and topic placement, and expanded the numerical check into a worked example.
The natural angular frequency of an ideal mass-spring oscillator depends on stiffness divided by mass. It is measured in radians per second and differs from ordinary frequency by a factor of 2π.
| Symbol | Meaning | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Natural angular frequency | ||
| Spring Constant | ||
| Mass |
Find the natural angular frequency.
Compare effects of stiffness and mass.
Find the natural angular frequency for spring stiffness 200 N/m and attached mass 2 kg.
OpenFormulaGraph equation reference; FormuLab adaptation details and license are provided below.
Adapted from OpenFormulaGraph, under CC BY 4.0.
FormuLab adapted wording, notation, applicability conditions and topic placement, and expanded the numerical check into a worked example.
Assumptions
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