Oscillations through webcam
With just a cheap and easily available item like a webcam, you can conduct an innovative physics experiment. In this experiment, you will observe the oscillations of a spring-bound body undergoing simple harmonic motion. Not only that, you can also investigate how the viscous force of a liquid impacts the damping of the harmonic motion. Who knew that such an everyday item could unlock insights into the physics of motion and fluids?
Overview
The Experiment
- Understand errors propagation.
- Perform simple image processing.
- Fit experimentally observed curves with mathematically modeled solutions.
- Examine the amplitude of a freely oscillating and underdamped harmonic oscillator.
- Study of the simple harmonic motion with a webcam and image processing algorithms.
.
How does it work?
Our experimental setup for investigating a damped harmonic oscillator consists of locally fabricated masses attached to a helical spring. We displace the mass slightly and capture the resulting motion using a web camera connected to a computer. The recorded video is then analyzed using Matlab’s Image Processing toolbox. We also designed and built the stands that hold the mass-spring system in-house. With this simple yet effective apparatus, we can explore the behavior of damped harmonic oscillations and their relationship with damping forces in a hands-on manner.
Major parts included
- Ruler
- Beaker
- Lab Stand
- USB camera
- Holding rod
- Linear spring
- Slotted-weight set
