Bridge Vibrations Experiment
Bridge Vibrations Experiment
The bridge is struck by hand and allowed to freely oscillate. Using PASCO Capstone™, the FFT shows that there are several resonant frequencies. Note how different the amplitudes are at different locations on the bridge.
Bridge Vibrations Experiment
The 5 N Load Cells are used to measure the oscillations of the bridge at several different positions.
Bridge Vibrations Experiment
The resonance of the bridge is characterized by driving the bridge at different resonant frequencies. Note how different the amplitudes are at different locations on the bridge.
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The complete solution for understanding resonance in complex systems and driven vs. free vibrations, designed for use with PASCO Capstone Software.

What's Included

See the Product Description for this item's included accessories.

Product Summary

In this experiment designed for use with PASCO Capstone software, students place 5 N Load Cells at different positions on the bridge to measure bridge oscillations and compare the driving force to the resulting acceleration. The bridge is struck by hand, and allowed to freely oscillate. PASCO Capstone generates a FFT graph which shows that there are several resonance frequencies and that the amplitudes differ based on location on the bridge.

Concepts

  • Resonance in complex systems
  • Driven vs. free vibrations

What's Included

Data Collection Software

This product requires PASCO software for data collection and analysis. We recommend the following option(s). For more information on which is right for your classroom, see our Software Comparison: SPARKvue vs. Capstone »

Interface Required

This product requires a PASCO Interface to connect to your computer or device. We recommend the following option(s). For a breakdown of features, capabilities, and additional options, see our Interface Comparison Guide »

Experiments

Bridge Vibrations Experiment English 22.78 MB

Experiment Library

Perform the following experiments and more with the Bridge Vibrations Experiment.
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College / Engineering

Bridge Vibrations

To study the resonant modes of a tied arch bridge, the bridge is first hit with a hammer or your hand. An FFT of the resulting vibrations are examined to find resonant modes. Then the bridge is driven with a sinusoidal force having...

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