Hookslawstatethatelongationinspringisdirectlyproportionaltoappliedforce.Inmathematicaltermsit
canbewrittenas
WhereF=Appliedforce
x=elongation
k=stiffnessofspring
M(gra
F=Mg (N) x (m)
k=F/x (N/m)
m)
50
0.49
0.05
9.8
100
0.98
0.1
9.8
250
2.45
0.24
10.2
Average k
9.9
Thetabulateddatahavebeenplottedinnextfigure
Thelinearfittingshowthatthefittingisverygoodforlinearlinepassingthroughorigin.Theequation
ofthefittedlineis
,hence
DeterminingRed,Green,andGoldmasses
F=kxwherethevalueoftheaveragevalueofkis
Answerthefollowingquestions.
1. Determinethespringconstant,k,ofSpring1,byusingHookesLaw.Takethreedifferent
measurements(since3masses)anddothreecalculationsandaverageyourkstogetamoreaccurate
answer.Byapplyinglotsoffriction,youwillbeabletogetyourmasstohangstill.Showatableof
yourdataandyourcalculationsofk.
Thisparthasalreadybeendone.
2. Determinethethreeunknownmasses:Red,Green,andGold.UseHookesLawtodeterminethe
masses.Showalldataandcalculations.
Red
Green
Gold
Elongation x
M=kx*1000/9.8
(m)
(gram)
0.3
304.2
0.07
70.8
0.15
152.1
ThenextfourquestionsaskyoutoinvestigatetheeffectsdifferentparametershaveonHookesLaw.
Answerthequestionandtellwhatyoudidonthesimulationtocometoyourconclusions.
3. ExplaintheeffectofmassonHookesLaw.
Asmassincreases,theweightalsoincreasesandweightisnothingbutforcehere.Xisdirectlyproportional
toFsoxisdirectlyproportionaltom.
4. ExplaintheeffectofgravityonHookesLawbycheckingoutwhathappensinthefourdifferent
locations,aswellaswhenthereisnogravity.
FisdirectlyproportionaltogravityandHookslawsaysthatxisdirectlyproportionaltoF.Hence,we
concludethatxisdirectlyproportionaltogravityattheplace.
5. Explaintheeffectofthespringconstant,k,(stiffnessofspring)onHookesLaw.
Springconstantkistheratioofappliedforceuponelongation.So,xwillbeinverselyproportionaltothe
stiffnessconstantk.
6. ExplaintheeffectoffrictiononHookesLaw.
FrictiondoesntappearinHookslaworstatement.But,ifthereis0frictionthenthesystemwillbe
incontinuousupanddownmotion.So,frictionjustreducesthemovementstobringthesystemat
equilibrium.Butithasnoroleinelongation.