A European Researchers’ Night project on mechanical vibrations for high school students

The present works were conceived to be exhibited during the 2022 European Researchers’ Night (ERN 2022), at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The idea is to illustrate the key concepts of mechanical vibration through the use of 3D models and virtual simulation analysis. The paper is directed to high school students planning to enroll in a mechanical engineering bachelor’s degree, in order to approach or consolidate some fundamental concepts of mechanical vibration. Topics not easy to explain, such as the natural frequencies of a body, could be presented more effectively using physical models. Mathematical formalism will be kept to a minimum, as it is beyond the scope of this paper.