Episode 12: Spring Theory

Astronaut and chemist Dr. Don Pettit does physics demos that are out of this world. Currently on board the International Space Station, Dr. Pettit presents fantastic physics that can only be demonstrated in micro-gravity.

Episode 12: Spring Theory

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Challenge Question: What are the relative masses of the three nuts on the spring?

Challenge Answer: The first nut has 3.95 times more mass than the second nut.The first nut has 2.24 times more mass than the third nut.The third nut has 1.76 times more mass than the second nut.

Added by Becky:
The frequency of the oscillations is related to pi, the spring constant, and the mass. Since the only thing changing here is the mass, we don't have to worry about the constants. The mass is proportional to 1/(f)^2 . From there it is easy to see how the masses relate to each other just by looking at the frequency.
Rebecca Thompson, Ph.D.

Challenge Winner: Kevin Jamison of Tacoma, WA