Mathematics of a Nonlinear Spring Model

by Lucas Kuivila

Submitted : Spring 2015

In this project I explore the mathematics of a simple nonlinear model of a spring. This is an important subject to understand because any real oscillating device is likely to be nonlinear; that is, it can not be expressed as a single factor of an independent variable. This project explores a model that utilizes Hooke’s Law that adds a stiffness term to account for this variation. The simplest form of Hooke’s law is that the force (F) of a spring is equal to the negative of stiffness constant (k) multiplied by the distance (x).

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