Viscoelastic behavior of a mass-rubber band oscillator

The behavior of a one-dimensional mass-rubber band oscillator is investigated experimentally. The data show clear evidence for viscoelastic behavior and can be interpreted in terms of a simple oscillator model consisting of a mass connected to a four parameter viscoelastic element. The model displays the observed crossover in the dynamic response. The success and limitations of the model and the pedagogical relevance of the experiment are discussed.