1.

To understand what happens when an

increasing force is applied to a wire or spring

2.

To understand how springs in series and

parallel behave

3.

To understand how to calculate the energy

stored in a stretched spring

4.

Use this as a vehicle to check graph plotting

Book Reference : Pages 164-166

What happens when you apply increasing

tension to a spring or wire?
http://www.rdg.ac.uk/acadepts/sp/picetl/publish/ISEs/Forces2.htm

Hookes Law states

that...the change in
length produced by a
force on a wire or
spring is directly
proportional to the
force applied.

F (N)

Well see
latter that
Hookes law
only applies
within limits
L (m)

Extension Force Applied

L F

To turn a proportionality into an equation

we need to introduce a constant of
proportionality...
L F
F = kL

Take care to avoid confusion

between overall length &
extension

We call k the spring constant and it defines

how stiff the spring is
How can we find K experimentally?
What should we do to minimise errors?

F (N)

Take the
gradient of
the graph :
F

F2 F1
L2 L1

L (m)

1. Make the gradient triangle as large as possible

2. Avoid outliers, choose data points which are on
the line

When we undertake an experiment

we should only change one variable at
a time to make it a fair test. We call
this the independent variable
L (m)

Quantities we measure, (and subsequently calculate) are

called dependent variables. All other variables which
are kept the same are called the control variables

Often graphs have the independent variable along

the bottom and the dependent up the side
Hookes law is a notable exception

F (N)

Spring constant :
material A is
stiffer than B & C

L (m)

C stops obeying Hookes law... After the limit of

proportionality the material behaves in a ductile
fashion. The material stretches more with a
small extra force.

Springs in parallel share the load &

have the same extension acting like a
single spring with a combined spring
constant

The force needed to stretch

springs p & q respectively is:Fp = kpL &

Fq = kqL

Weight supported by both

springs W = Fp + Fq

So by substituting & expanding

p

W = kpL + kqL which can be

considered equal to kL where
k is the effective spring
constant
kL = kpL + kqL

Cancel out L
k = kp + kq

Springs in series share the same

tension which is equal to W
The extensions in the two
springs is given by:Lp = W/kp & Lq = W/kq

The total extension is Lp + Lq

W/k = W/kp + W/kq = 1/kp + 1/kq = 1/k
where k is the effective spring constant

The stretched spring

has elastic potential
energy. Work has been
done because the
force moves through a
distance.
The distance moved by the force is L, the
force involved ranges from 0 to F and so the
Only valid for
average is F/2
Ep = FL

where Hookes
law is obeyed

1.

Weve seen Hookes law and how we can use

it to establish the spring constant

2.

Weve discussed variables and how to

accurately establish the spring constant
experimentally

3.

Weve seen how combinations of springs in

parallel and series can act as a single spring

4.

We have related the elastic potential energy

in a stretched spring to the work done
stretching the spring