Stretching a Spring - Required Practical

• What equipment is needed for the experiment?

  Clamp stand, bosses, clamps, meter rule, spring
• Why must the meter rule be vertical?

  To ensure accurate readings
• What must the pointer at the bottom of the spring be?

  Horizontal
• What does the unstretched length of the spring represent?

  The length with no force attached
• What weight do you hang on the spring first?

  One newton
• How do you calculate the extension produced by each weight?

  Subtract unstretched length from each reading
• What do you plot against the weight on the graph?

  The extension
• What does a straight line graph through the origin indicate?

  Extension is directly proportional to weight
• What is the term used for a linear relationship in this context?

  Elastic relationship
• How does a rubber band behave differently than a spring?

  It does not produce a straight line graph
• What is inelastic deformation?

  Extension remains after removing the weight
• What is the limit of proportionality?

  The maximum weight for linear extension
• What equation is used to calculate the force required to extend a spring?

  Force = spring constant × extension
• How can the spring constant be determined from the graph?

  By dividing force by extension
• When is the spring constant the same for any part of the graph?

  As long as we don't exceed the limit of proportionality
• What are the steps of the practical

  We have a clamp stand two bosses and two clamps

  
  

  Next place a heavy weight on the clamp to stop it falling over

  
  

  Then we attach a metre rule and a spring

  
  

  The bottom of the spring has a wooden splint and pointer

  
  

  The pointer must be horizontal, when it is read the position of the pointer on the metre rule

  
  

  Hang a 1 N weight on the spring then continue adding 1 N weights to the spring and read the position of the pointer