Plan the investigation
What students will do
Start with a guided comparison, then plan an investigation, analyze a graph, and check a prediction.
- Compare compressions. Measure starting center height and apex height for several spring compressions, then calculate each vertical rise.
- Design and collect. Choose at least five compressions with mass and stiffness fixed. Plan how to identify the highest point consistently.
- Linearize the data. Transform compression and maximum-rise data to form a straight line. Infer spring stiffness from its slope.
- Explain and predict. Evaluate the energy transfer and compression dependence, then predict and test the rise for an unused compression.
What students will learn
- Use vertical rise rather than absolute height in energy calculations.
- Test the compression-squared dependence of spring energy.
- Use a fitted energy model to make a prediction.
Common misconception
Does tripling compression triple the maximum rise?
Students test the squared-compression relationship with measured height changes.