Last year, I figured out how to construct a horizontal simple harmonic oscillator. It is a typical glider on an air track with two dynamics cart springs attached from the ends of the glider to the ends of the track. It works really well and provides a great lab activity as students begin to explore simple harmonic motion.
##equipment
Do you order the “dynamics cart springs” separate? Or take them out of the carts themselves? If so, I assume these are the carts with the plungers in them?
I’m not sure, but I think the springs came with our PASCO carts. They are not the compression springs from inside the plunger carts. They may be these: http://www.pasco.com/prodCatalog/ME/ME-9803_harmonic-springs-8-pack/index.cfm