In this experiment, the resonance of a driven damped harmonic oscillator is examined by plotting the oscillation amplitude versus frequency for various amounts of damping.

The oscillator consists of an aluminum disk with a pulley connected to two springs by a string. The angular positions and velocities of the disk and the driver are recorded as a function of time using 2 Rotary Motion Sensors. The amplitude of the oscillation is plotted versus the driving frequency for different amounts of magnetic damping. Increased damping is provided by moving an adjustable magnet closer to the aluminum disk.

PASCO Advantage:
The combination of DataStudio and the 750 Interface has the power to sweep through the driver frequencies and the capability to plot the amplitude versus the driver frequency in real-time.