Hi, I am having trouble understanding oscillating springs. In my textbook it says that as a vertically oscillating spring moves down it gains eleastic potential energy. It then says the elastic potential energy decreases from the lowest to the highest point. It is this bit that confuses me. I thought the elastic potential energy was proportional to the displacement from equilibrium so it should be maximum at either side. If you look at the equation for an oscillating spring it is independent of gravity so how would the spring oscillate vertically in zero gravity if the elastic potential energy is minimum at the top?