2. Something many people have
experienced in their childhoods since the
1930s would be the trampoline.
The trampoline allows users to jump
higher than they would be physically able
to on flat ground. This is due to the
springs connected to the metal on the
edges of the trampoline. The springs in a
trampoline are an example of a horizontal
mass-spring system.
3. The Reason
When a person is jumping on the trampoline
mat, the mat will initially have a downward
motion to compensate for the weight of the
person. What allows this downward motion
is the springs on the edge of the trampoline
being stretched out. It is an example of
Hooke’s Law F=-kx, as the nature of the
spring is to move back to equilibrium
position. To do this the springs will snap
back into a compressed position due to the
restoring force. The action of snapping
back will cause the mat of the trampoline to
move up causing the person to be launched
into the air. The force of the spring acts in
the opposite direction when the person is
stretching it out when standing or jumping
4. The trampoline is an example of how a
horizontal mass-spring system is applied
to everyday life
