Demo 03-10 X-Squared Spring Energy Dependence

This demonstration illustrates that the energy stored in a spring is proportional to the square of the distance the spring is compressed. An air track glider is attached to an arm that compresses a spring. When released it moves up the inclined air track, as illustrated in Figure 1. In this case the distance the glider travels up the incline is proportional to its final gravitational potential energy, which is linearly proportional to vertical height and therefore to distance along the incline. The energy stored in the compressed spring increases as the square of the compression, so compression ratios of 1-2-3 units respectively produce energies in the ratio of 1-4-9, and the glider moves up the incline by distances in the ratio of 1-4-9, as seen from the scale provided along the air track