Leaf Springs Resonance
Purpose
As the motor speed scans from low to high frequency, successively shorter leaf springs resonate one by one, oscillating violently when the driving frequency matches their natural frequency. Students see that natural frequency depends on spring length (\(f \propto 1/L^2\)) and that only frequency-matched oscillators respond strongly.
Figure 1:
The leaf springs apparatus shows the complete setup with springs arranged by decreasing length. The motor and pulley system drives all springs simultaneously through a belt mechanism, allowing observation of selective resonance as driving frequency varies.
Figure 2:
Multiple viewing angles reveal the mechanical drive system. The motor controller varies the driving frequency continuously, causing each spring to resonate in sequence when the driving frequency matches its natural frequency.
Equipment
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Demo Apparatus
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