Forces and Elasticity

• When you apply a force to an object you may cause it to stretch, compress or bend.

  To do this, you need more than one force acting on the object.
• An object has been elastically deformed if it can go back to the original shape and length after the force has been removed.

  Objects that can be elastically deformed are called elastic objects
• An object has been inelastically deformed if it doesn’t return to its original shape and length after the force has been removed
• Work is done when a force stretches or compresses an object and causes energy to be transferred to the elastic potential energy store of the object.
• If it is elastically deformed, all this energy is transferred to the object‘s elastic potential energy store
• Force (N) = Spring constant (N/m) x Extension (m)
• The limit of proportionality is when the extension is no longer proportional to the force. This is shown on a graph by the maximum force above which the graph curves