written by Wolfgang Christian and Tom Dooling

This simulation shows different views of a spring that is whirled in a circle with one end free. The free end extends outward due to its own inertia or, expressed in terms of a rotating reference frame, the action of centrifugal force. Given sufficient time for initial oscillations to dampen, the free end travels in uniform circular motion. How will the two ends of the spring move when the free end is released?

Newtonian mechanics predicts that the free end will to continue in uniform circular motion as before, until such time as a wave propagates from the inner end to the outer. Seen in person or especially in high-speed video, the phenomenon is striking, even if expected.

• Download webejs_model_SpringReleasedDuringCircularMotion.zip - 904kb Compressed File

Last Modified March 29, 2024

This file has previous versions.

A detailed discussion of the Spring Release During Circular Motion simulation is available in The Motion Of A Spring Released From Uniform Circular Motion paper by T. Dooling, J. Register, M. Carnaghi, and A. Titus.

• Download SlinkyInRotatingFrame.pdf - 819kb Adobe PDF Document

Last Modified May 17, 2023

This file is included in the full-text index.

Video showing Tracker Analysis of a rotating spring as it is released.

• Download example-pasco-spring.mp4 - 620kb video/mp4

Last Modified November 10, 2023

Video of a spring released during circular motion.  Created by Jeff Register.

• Download rotating_spring.mp4 - 373kb video/mp4

Last Modified November 10, 2023

This file has previous versions.

The JavaScript EJS source code for this simulation.

• Download webejs_src_SpringReleasedDuringCircularMotion.zip - 755kb Compressed File

Last Modified March 29, 2024

This file has previous versions.