Measurement of the damping coefficient of an elastic rubber band oscillator by a smartphone

Abstract The use of smartphones as laboratory tools for school physics experiments has recently received attention for the possibility of carrying out a wide variety of didactic experiments with low-cost equipments. This article presents a study on a damped oscillator consisting of an elastic rubber loop and a mass. The investigation of the oscillations was conducted by using a smartphone. The experimental data was interpreted by a simple model, obtaining information on the viscoelastic properties of the rubber material.