Table of Contents
What are the forces acting on a slinky?
From the whole slinky point of view, there is only one force on the slinky – the gravitational force. This means that it falls and accelerates downward with an acceleration of -9.8 m/s2 just like all free-falling objects.
What is the science behind the slinky toy?
As the slinky moves down the steps, energy is transferred along its length in a longitudinal or compressional wave, which resembles a sound wave that travels through a substance by transferring a pulse of energy to the next molecule. How quickly the wave moves depends on the spring constant and the mass of the metal.
What is slinky spring in physics?
A slinky is a pre-compressed helical spring. It was invented by Richard James in the early 1940s. It can perform a number of tricks, such as traveling down a flight of stairs, while moving end over end. It can also appear to levitate for a period of time after it has been dropped.
Why does the bottom of a Slinky not move when dropped?
You are absolutely correct that the bottom of the slinky does not move because the tension of the rest of the slinky pulling up balances the force due to gravity pulling down until the moment that the slinky is fully compressed and the whole thing falls with the acceleration due to gravity.
What type of energy is a Slinky?
This compression and extension form a compression wave that travels down the slinky, changing the gravitational potential energy and spring potential energy of the slinky into kinetic energy.
Why do we use slinky springs in physics?
A long metal slinky and a longer but smaller metal spring. The slinky can be used to show compression waves and the smaller more sturdy spring can be used to show transverse waves. These are two very long springs (one a slinky) to show wave propagation on a classroom size level.
How does a slinky defy gravity?
The downwards pull of gravity is balanced by the upwards pull of the tension in the coils. When the slinky is released, the coils collapse downwards from the top in a compression wave. The bottom of the slinky remains motionless until the coils have fully collapsed, and the compression wave reaches it.
How does a slinky drop?
Does a Slinky have elastic potential energy?
Likewise if a Slinky is stretched and let go, it will pull itself back to its original shape, that means that there’s potential for energy in the Slinky’s shape. This is another form of potential energy called elastic potential energy.
Does a transfer of energy occur in a Slinky?
(As the Slinky moves down the steps, kinetic energy is transferred from coil to coil along its length in a longitudinal wave. The speed of the wave depends on the tension and mass of the coil.
Is a Slinky a mechanical wave?
Slinky waves, water waves, stadium waves, and jump rope waves are other examples of mechanical waves; each requires some medium in order to exist. A slinky wave requires the coils of the slinky; a water wave requires water; a stadium wave requires fans in a stadium; and a jump rope wave requires a jump rope.
How does this speed change as the slinky is stretched?
Why did the speed increase? By stretching it further you have increased the tension and decreased the number of turns per unit length. Thus effective increased and effective decreased.
What is the spring constant of a slinky?
For the typical slinky parameters used, the spring constant is k = 0.84 N/m and the collapse time is tc ≈ 0.24 s.
Why do slinkys levitate?
Held from midair, the Slinky stretches out, quickly reaching a condition known as “equilibrium.” in which the downward force of gravity is balanced by the upward tension of the coils above it. When the top is released, the bottom stays suspended. The top of the Slinky collapses, so that the coils slam into each other.
Why do slinkys not fall?
A Slinky is a loose tension spring. If you let the whole thing uncoil and hang down, the tension is enough to hold up the bottom against the pull of gravity.
How do you make a transverse wave with a slinky toy?
Transverse Waves: To Do and Notice. Hold the Slinky between your hands—it will be horizontal and will sag. Move both of your hands up and down together. Find the lowest frequency that produces the largest motion of the Slinky using the smallest motion of your hands (this should be about one cycle per second.)
What kind of spring is a slinky?
Slinky is a helical spring, which can climb down the stairs or any inclined plane.
Why do higher frequencies have more energy?
Frequency is the number of ways that pass by each second, measured in hertz. So a wave of a particular amplitude will transmit more energy per second if it has a higher frequency, simply because more waves are passing by in a given period of time.
How is a longitudinal wave produced on a slinky spring?
A longitudinal wave can be created in a slinky if the slinky is stretched out in a horizontal direction and the first coils of the slinky are vibrated horizontally. In such a case, each individual coil of the medium is set into vibrational motion in directions parallel to the direction that the energy is transported.
How many coils are in a slinky?
tall with 75 ft. of high carbon steel wire arranged in 98 coils. James filed a patent for the toy the same month of its first demonstration, and it was approved in January of 1947. Despite initial retailer reluctance, the Slinky soon found its market and James quit his job to devote all his time to the project.
How could you produce a transverse wave in a spring?
If the spring is in the air, the students can vibrate the spring left and right or up and down. Students can also shake the spring diagonally back and forth in the air to create transverse waves. As long as the vibrations are perpendicular to the direction of wave motion, a transverse wave will be produced.
What is a disturbance with reference to waves?
With reference to waves, what is a disturbance? It refers to the resistance produced by some particles of a material. It refers to an oscillation produced by some energy that creates a wave.
How far does a slinky stretch?
Each Slinky contains 67 feet of flat steel wire, and weighs approximately 1/2 pound. When a Slinky is compressed it is only 2-1/4 inch long, but it can be stretched into a helix as long as 15 feet in length without deforming.
Why does a chain fall faster than gravity?
Slow motion video shows that the mass attached to the chain accelerates faster than the free-falling mass. This because as the chain continuously decelerates and stops, this pulls down on the mass and this increases the acceleration on this mass (equal but opposite forces apply).