We saw in the Why It Matters for this module that second-order linear differential equations are used to model many situations in physics and engineering. In this section, we look at how this works for systems of an object with mass attached to a vertical spring and an electric circuit containing a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor connected in series. Models such as these can be used to approximate other more complicated situations; for example, bonds between atoms or molecules are often modeled as springs that vibrate, as described by these same differential equations.