Mechanical Oscillations and Waves

Mechanical Oscillations and Waves


Product Description


The software package includes 12 virtual laboratory works from the general physics course for students of higher and secondary educational institutions:

  1. Harmonic Oscillation of a String Pendulum;
  2. Elliptical Oscillation of a String Pendulum;
  3. Variable g Pendulum;
  4. Kater’s Reversible Pendulum;
  5. Simple Harmonic Oscillations;
  6. Pohl’s Torsion Pendulum;
  7. Forced Harmonic Rotary Oscillation;
  8. Coupled Oscillations;
  9. Mechanical Waves;
  10. Speed of Sound in Air;
  11. Standing Sound Waves;
  12. Propagation of Sound in Rods.

The virtual laboratory practice is implemented in the form of a set of cross-platform graphical applications supplied for various operating systems: Microsoft Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, Android, as well as web applications based on HTML5 technology, which provide the ability to remotely perform laboratory work in a web browser. The graphical component of the software uses the OpenGL 2.0 programming interface and component base.

Note: for best performance of online-versions of applications, we recommend using the Microsoft Edge web browser.


1. Harmonic Oscillation of a String Pendulum

Goals: measuring the oscillation period of a string pendulum depending on the length and mass of the pendulum; determination of the acceleration of gravity.

2. Elliptical Oscillation of a String Pendulum

Goals: demonstration of the elliptical oscillation of a string pendulum in the form of two perpendicular components for different initial conditions; observation of oscillations of a string pendulum at different values of the phase shift.

3. Variable g Pendulum

Goals: measurement of the oscillation period depending on the effective component of gravitational acceleration; measurement of the oscillation period depending on the different length of the pendulum.

4. Kater’s Reversible Pendulum

Goals: get acquainted with the principle of operation of a reversible pendulum; determine the oscillation period and calculate the local value of the gravitational acceleration.

5. Simple Harmonic Oscillations

Goals: recording of harmonic oscillations of a pendulum with a cylindrical spring depending on time using an ultrasonic motion sensor; determination of the oscillation period for various combinations of spring constant and suspended weight mass.

6. Pohl’s Torsion Pendulum

Goals: measuring the oscillation period of the pendulum for different values of the braking current; determination of the damping constant of a rotating pendulum.

7. Forced Harmonic Rotary Oscillation

Goals: measurement of the amplitude of forced oscillations depending on the excitation frequency for various values of damping; observing a phase shift between excitation and actual oscillations; demonstration of resonance.

8. Coupled Oscillations

Goals: observation of coupled oscillations in phase, antiphase and in the general case; determination of periods of oscillations for each case; determination of the beat period; comparison of experimental and theoretical values of periods.

9. Mechanical Waves

Goals: generating a standing transverse wave along the rope; measuring the internal frequency as a function of the number of nodes; determination of the appropriate wavelength and speed of wave propagation.

10. Speed of Sound in Air

Goals: measuring the propagation time of a sound pulse in air depending on the temperature and of the distance between two microphone probes; confirmation of the linear relationship between distance and time; confirmation of Laplace’s conclusion.

11. Standing Sound Waves

Goals: observation of standing sound waves in the Kundt tube; determination of the amplitude of the sound wave depending on the given frequency; determining the frequency and wavelength corresponding to the first resonance; determination of the wave propagation speed by resonant frequencies.

12. Propagation of Sound in Rods

Goals: analysis using an oscilloscope of the influence of the material and the rods length on the sound pulses; determination of the speed of propagation of longitudinal sound waves in materials over time; determination of the modulus of elasticity of materials by the speed of propagation of longitudinal waves and their density.