Energy of a Vibrating Mass on a Spring

The Energy of a Spring Concept Builder focuses on the concept of energy associated with a vibrating mass on a spring. The Concept Builder consists 70 questions organized into 24 Question Groups and spread across four activities. In the first activity - KE, PEgrav, PEspring, and TME - learners identify the manner in which the kinetic energy, potential energy, and total mechanical energy change as the mass vibrates from one location to another location. Both horizontal and vertical springs are included in the analysis. In the second activity - Energy Bar Charts - learners are provided an energy bar chart at one position in the back-and-forth cycle of the mass on a spring and must identify from six options the correct bar chart at a second specified position. The emphasis is entirely on horizontal springs. In the third activity - Do It With Numbers 1 - learners are provided values of the KE and PE at one location in the path of the vibrating mass and must identify the values at a second location. The emphasis is restricted to horizontal springs. In the fourth activity - Do It With Numbers 2 - learners are provided values of the KE and PE at one location in the path of the vibrating mass and must identify the values at a second location. The emphasis is restricted to vertical springs. Question-specific help is provided for each of the 24 situations. Use of this Concept Builder with our Task Tracker system allows teachers to track student progress.