This online experiment allows the user to collect data on the motion of a second-order mass-spring-dashpot system. The properties of the system vary with time—the moving mass of the system includes a small water tank which fills and gradually drains, and the spring portion of the system includes a leaf spring which changes in length each time the system is activated. In addition, three different initial displacements along with impact excitations are available as inputs to the system. Consequently, each user of the system will obtain different results.

Multiple different transducers are used to collect acceleration, displacement and force data from the system. Good transducers are available, which provide relatively clean data. However, “bad” measurements—affected by noise, drift, bias, quantization error and filtering—are also obtained. The user can therefore gain experience processing less-than-perfect data and better understand the importance of good measurements.

Data can be acquired from the system in two ways. The system can be controlled live and the data collected and saved. Only one person may use this feature at a time. Alternatively, the user may obtain a randomly selected data set that has been previously collected. Professors interested in using this system for course assignments may contact us about additional options.

Detailed photograph of system