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Re: Coefficients for actual spring-mass-damper system

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Spring catalogs will list nominal spring constants but there's lots of
variation.  Better to measure your particular spring.  As far as I know
nobody publishes damping coefficients.  You could compute them from the
spring dimensions and the material properties but I don't think that
would be very accurate.

You can measure the spring constant by measuring the spring, applying a
known force, and measuring again.  The spring constant is the force
divided by the change in length.

Knowing the spring constant you can then hang a mass from it, start it
oscillating, measure the period and decay time constant, and calculate
the damping coefficient.  That way you would be including the effects of
the air.  Hang it from something rigid and massive, of course.
-- 
John Hasler 
john@sugarbit.com
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI USA

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Coefficients for actual spring-mass-damper system Christopher Howard <christopher@librehacker.com> - 2025-12-18 15:18 -0900
  Re: Coefficients for actual spring-mass-damper system John Hasler <john@sugarbit.com> - 2025-12-18 19:29 -0600
    Re: Coefficients for actual spring-mass-damper system John Hasler <john@sugarbit.com> - 2025-12-19 08:17 -0600

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