Hooke's Law Experiment

Purpose of the Experiment

• To investigate the extension of a spring and its relationship with the applied force
• To verify that the extension of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied, within the limit of proportionality

Variables in the Experiment

• Independent Variable: stretching force F (weight attached to the spring, calculated using F = mg)
• Dependent Variable: extension of the spring e
• Control Variables: material of the spring, cross-sectional area of the spring (kept same to ensure a fair test)

Hooke's Law

• The extension of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied, provided that the limit of proportionality is not exceeded
• Equation: F = -k ΔL, where F is the force in newtons (N), k is the spring constant in newtons per meter (N/m), ΔL is the extension in meters (m), L is the extension of the spring, and L˳ is the length of the spring in relaxed state

Apparatus

• Steel spring
• Masses (20, 30, 40…gm)
• Weights holder
• Meter rule

Method

• Set up apparatus as shown in the diagram
• Attach mass hanger s-hook and pointer to the lower end of the spring
• Read the pointer value from the meter rule to record the initial length of the spring
• Add masses to the hanger and record the mass in kg
• Read the new position of the pointer on the meter rule to record the stretched length of the spring
• Calculate the stretching force (W = mg) and extension (stretched length – original length)
• Repeat the procedure by adding 20g masses and recording the new stretched length and extension

This quiz is about an experiment to investigate the relationship between the extension of a spring and the applied force, and to recall Hooke's Law. The experiment aims to show that the extension of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied.