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hookes law

The document outlines an experiment to investigate Hooke's Law by measuring the extension of springs in parallel and series combinations. It details the apparatus needed, the setup, and the procedure for recording data, including plotting graphs and calculating effective spring constants. Additionally, it poses questions regarding measurement accuracy and uncertainties in the experiment.

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Elias Mwape
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9 views2 pages

hookes law

The document outlines an experiment to investigate Hooke's Law by measuring the extension of springs in parallel and series combinations. It details the apparatus needed, the setup, and the procedure for recording data, including plotting graphs and calculating effective spring constants. Additionally, it poses questions regarding measurement accuracy and uncertainties in the experiment.

Uploaded by

Elias Mwape
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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6.

2 Hooke's Law

Experimental skills 6. I: Investigating combinations of springs

When different springs are combined, they will have A student uses the apparatus
an effective spring constant. This will be different from to measure the extension for
the spring constants of the individual springs. different loads of the parallel
springs. She then changes the
Apparatus arrangement of the springs
You will need: so that they are in series
• two identical springs (same length and value of (Figure 6.6), and repeats the
spring constant) experiment.
• clamp stand, 2 bosses and 2 clamps The processed results
• a metre rule with millimetre scale obtained by the student are slotted masses
• a light rigid bar shown in Table 6.1. Figure 6.6 Combination of two
• mass hanger with masses. springs in series.

Set up the apparatus as shown in Figure 6.5.


Extension/ mm
Load/N Parallel Series
combination combination
/ light, rigid bar
0
0.2
sloued masses 0.4
0.6
0.8
clamp
1.0
Figure 6.5 Apparatus to measure the effective spring constant of a
parallel pair of springs.
1.2
Table 6.1 The processed results showing load and extension for two
Technique different combinations of springs.
The light rigid bar allows the mass hanger to be hung
P2. Plot a graph of load against extension for the
between the springs so that the load is distributed
series and parallel spring combinations. Use the
evenly between them.
same axes for both sets of measurements.
The position of the bar is noted when there is
no load. P3. (a) Use your graph to calculate the effective
A mass is hung from the bar in between the two spring constant (in N m-1 ) for each
springs, and equidistant from them, and the new combination of springs.
position of the bar noted. (b) Justify the number of significant figures that
The process is repeated for additional masses. you have given for your values of k.
P4. The student measures the extension to ±1 mm.
QUESTIONS (a) Calculate the percentage uncertainty in the
Pl. (a) Suggest why it is important that the bar is extension at 0.2 N and at 1.2 N for the parallel
light. combination of springs.
(b) Describe how you could check that the limit (b) The student says 'Looking at the percentage
of proportionality is not exceeded during the uncertainties, I must have been more accurate
experiment. in taking measurements at larger loads.'
(c) Describe how the extension could be
measured more accurately.

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