elastic potential

• what happens when you stretch a spring?


  you apply a force to change the length of the spring.
• what is work?


  when you apply a force.
• what is elastic potential energy?


  a stretched spring storing energy created as a result of stretching the spring.
• what happens when you plot the extension (e) against the force applied (N)?


  you get a straight line passing through 0 - the direction is directly proportional to the force.
• what happens if too much force is applied?

  the extension is no longer directly proportional to the force as it reaches its limit of proportionality - it will not return to its original length when the force is taken away.
• what needs to be done if the extension is in centimeters?


  convert into meters