LAB MANUAL

MECHANICS OF MACHINES

BASIC

Experiment # 9
Objective:

To verify Hookes law.

Apparatus:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Spring balance
Weights
Hanger
Measuring Ruler

Theory:
The elastic properties of matter are involved in many physical phenomena. When
matter is deformed (compressed, twisted, stretched, et cetera) and the deforming forces
are sufficiently small, the material will return to its original shape when the deforming
forces are removed. In such cases, the deformation is said to take place within the elastic
limit of the material, i.e., there is no permanent deformation. The slight stretching of a
rubber band is an example of an elastic deformation. Steel wires, concrete columns,
metal beams and rods and other material objects can also undergo elastic deformations.
For many materials, it is approximately true that when the material is stretched or
compressed, the resisting or restoring force that tends to return the material to its
original shape is proportional to the amount of the deformation but points in a direction
SUBMITTED
BY:
AHMAD BHUTTA

AREEB

REG. #: 2013-BTMECH-106

BSc. Mechanical Engineering &

Technology, MNS UET Multan

LAB MANUAL
MECHANICS OF MACHINES

BASIC

opposite to the stretch or compression. This idealized behaviour of matter is called

Hooke's Law.

Hookes Law:
Hookes law, law of elasticity
discovered by the English scientist
Robert Hooke in 1660, which states
that, for relatively small deformations of
an object, the displacement or size of
the deformation is directly proportional
to the deforming force or load. Under
these conditions the object returns to its
original shape and size upon removal of
the load. Elastic behavior of solids
according to Hookes law can be
explained

by

displacements

the

fact

of

their

that

small

constituent

molecules, atoms, or ions from normal

positions is also proportional to the force that causes the displacement.
The deforming force may be applied to a solid by stretching, compressing,
squeezing, bending, or twisting. Thus, a metal wire exhibits elastic behavior according to
Hookes law because the small increase in its length when stretched by an applied force
doubles each time the force is doubled. Mathematically, Hookes law states that the
applied force F equals a constant k times the displacement or change in length x, or
F = kx. The value of k depends not only on the kind of elastic material under
consideration but also on its dimensions and shape.
At relatively large values of applied force, the deformation of the elastic material
is often larger than expected on the basis of Hookes law, even though the material
remains elastic and returns to its original shape and size after removal of the force.
Hookes law describes the elastic properties of materials only in the range in which the
force and displacement are proportional. Sometimes Hookes law is formulated as
F = kx. In this expression F no longer means the applied force but rather means the

SUBMITTED
BY:
AHMAD BHUTTA

AREEB

REG. #: 2013-BTMECH-106

BSc. Mechanical Engineering &

Technology, MNS UET Multan

LAB MANUAL
MECHANICS OF MACHINES

BASIC

equal and oppositely directed restoring force that causes elastic materials to return to
their original dimensions.
Hookes law may also be expressed in terms of stress and strain. Stress is the force
on unit areas within a material that develops as a result of the externally applied force.
Strain is the relative deformation produced by stress. For relatively small stresses, stress
is proportional to strain.
Stress and strain are directly proportional to each other with in the elastic limit.
stress( ) strain ( )
=E

(1)
(2)

In the equation (2), E shows the Modulus of elasticity or Youngs Modulus of spring.

Stress:
Stress is force per unit area within materials that arises from externally applied
forces, uneven heating, or permanent deformation and that permits an accurate
description and prediction of elastic, plastic, and fluid behavior. A stress is expressed as a
quotient of a force divided by an area.
There are many kinds of stress. Normal stress arises from forces that are
perpendicular to a cross-sectional area of the material, whereas shear stress arises from
forces that are parallel to, and lie in, the plane of the cross-sectional area.
It is denoted by ' .

It has unit Nm-2 or Pa (Pascal).

=F/ A

Strain:
Strain is number that describes relative deformation or change in shape and size
of elastic, plastic, and fluid materials under applied forces. The deformation, expressed
by strain, arises throughout the material as the particles (molecules, atoms, ions) of
which the material is composed are slightly displaced from their normal position.
SUBMITTED
BY:
AHMAD BHUTTA

AREEB

REG. #: 2013-BTMECH-106

BSc. Mechanical Engineering &

Technology, MNS UET Multan

LAB MANUAL
MECHANICS OF MACHINES

BASIC

Strains may be divided into normal strains and shear strains on the basis of the
forces that cause the deformation. A normal strain is caused by forces perpendicular to
planes or cross-sectional areas of the material, such as in a volume that is under pressure
on all sides or in a rod that is pulled or compressed lengthwise.
A shear strain is caused by forces that are parallel to, and lie in, planes or crosssectional areas, such as in a short metal tube that is twisted about its longitudinal axis.
=

In the equation (

L
L

L=L+ L ), where

is the small increment in the

length of spring.

It is denoted by .

It has no units.

Youngs Modulus:
Youngs modulus, numerical constant, named for the 18th-century English
physician and physicist Thomas Young, that describes the elastic properties of a solid
undergoing tension or compression in only one direction, as in the case of a metal rod
that after being stretched or compressed lengthwise returns to its original length. Youngs
modulus is a measure of the ability of a material to withstand changes in length when
under lengthwise tension or compression. Sometimes referred to as the modulus of
elasticity, Youngs modulus is equal to the longitudinal stress divided by the strain.
E= /

Here E is the Modulus of Elasticity.

Stress strain Curve:

SUBMITTED
BY:
AHMAD BHUTTA

AREEB

REG. #: 2013-BTMECH-106

BSc. Mechanical Engineering &

Technology, MNS UET Multan

LAB MANUAL
MECHANICS OF MACHINES

BASIC

The relationship between

the stress and strain that a
particular material displays is
known as that particular material's
stressstrain curve. It is unique for
each material and is found by
recording
the
amount
of
deformation (strain) at distinct
intervals of tensile or compressive
loading (stress). These curves
reveal many of the properties of a
material (including data to
establish the Modulus of Elasticity,
E).

Spring constant:
This is the proportionality constant used in the Hookes law which shows the
capacity of the spring to bear the extension due to applied weight.

It is commonly denoted by K.
Its unit is Nm-1.
K=F / x

The equation shows

Displacement/Extension.

that

is

the

ratio

of

Spring balance:
This is material or medium through which we
calculate the extension due to application of load.

Ruler:
Ruler is used to check how much extension is
made during application of loads on loading and
unloading.

SUBMITTED
BY:
AHMAD BHUTTA

AREEB

REG. #: 2013-BTMECH-106

BSc. Mechanical Engineering &

Technology, MNS UET Multan

Force

to

the

LAB MANUAL
MECHANICS OF MACHINES

BASIC

Weights:
This is the applied load on the spring
to show the extension in it.

Load-Extension Graph:
Load-Extension Graph is
plotted according to readings while
taking extension on x-axis and load
on y-axis.

Procedure:
1. Hang a spring from a horizontal metal rod.
2. Attach a mass hanger directly to the bottom of the hanging spring and record the
position of the bottom of the mass hanger relative to a meter stick.
3. Add masses to the spring and record the position of the bottom of the mass hanger.
4. Hang a mass from the spring and wait for it to come to rest.
5. Record the final position of the mass hanger.
6. Calculate and note the increase in length.
7. Repeat the above steps with different weights.
8. Fill the measurement in an observation table.
9. Plot a graph with readings. (Force applied) vs (Extension).

SUBMITTED
BY:
AHMAD BHUTTA

AREEB

REG. #: 2013-BTMECH-106

BSc. Mechanical Engineering &

Technology, MNS UET Multan

LAB MANUAL
MECHANICS OF MACHINES

BASIC

Conclusion:
Studied and verified Hookes Law.

Comments:
The following factors affect results of the experiment:
1. Frictional Losses.
2. Human Error.

SUBMITTED
BY:
AHMAD BHUTTA

AREEB

REG. #: 2013-BTMECH-106

BSc. Mechanical Engineering &

Technology, MNS UET Multan