  The spring-mass system studied in undergraduate physics laboratories may show
complex dynamics due to the simultaneous action of gravitational, elastic, and
torsional forces, in addition to air friction. In this paper, we describe a
laboratory exercise that caters to beginning students while giving those with
more background an opportunity to explore more complex aspects of the motion.
If students are not given predefined apparatus but are allowed to design the
experiment setup, they may also learn something about physics thinking and
experimental procedure. Using results thus produced, we describe a variety of
spring-mass oscillation patterns, discussing the physics of the significant
deviations from simple harmonic motion. The parametric oscillation behavior we
have observed is reported and investigated. This study is based on analysis of
motion waveforms.
