Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2.11 Elasticity
2.11 Elasticity
11
Define Elasticity A property of matter that enables an object to return to its original size
and shape when the force that was acting on it is removed.
Stretching a wire by an external Its molecules are slightly displaced away from one another.
force: Strong attractive forces act between the molecules to oppose the
stretching
When the external force is removed:
The attractive intermolecular forces bring the molecules back to
their equilibrium separation.
The wire returns to its original position
131
The extension of a spring is directly proportional to the applied force
State Hooke’s Law provided the elastic limit is not exceeded.
F = kx
Area under the graph equal to the work done to extent the spring:
2
= elastic potential energy = ½ Fx = ½ kx
The elastic limit of a spring The maximum force that can be applied to a spring such that the
spring will be able to be restored to its original length when the force
is removed.
If a force stretches a spring beyond its elastic limit, the spring cannot
return to its original length even though the force no longer acts on it.
The Hooke’s law is not obeyed anymore.
Force constant of the spring, k The force required to produce one unit of extension of the spring.
F
k -1 -1
unit N m or N cm or N mm
-1
x
k is a measurement of the stiffness of the spring
The spring with a larger force constant is harder to extend and is
said to be more stiff.
A spring with a smaller force constant is easier to extend and is
said to be less stiff or softer.
132
(1) Cushion / mattress: The spring in a cushion or mattress undergo many cycles of
Describe compression during use and each time the cushion is able to return to its original
applications of shape. This is due to the elasticity of the springs.
elasticity
(2) Electric meter : Electric meters such as ammeter, voltmeter and galvanometer have
spiral springs. The springs are used to stop the pointer at a specific point on the
scale or to return the pointer to the zero mark on the scale after a measurement has
been taken
(3) Weighing apparatus: A weighing apparatus such as spring balance , a spring is
either extended or compressed and it obeys the
Hooke ‘ law and it caused the apparatus has a linear scale.
(4) Vehicles spring support: It enables the
passengers in a vehicle to be seated in a comfortable position when the vehicle
goes on a bumpy road because springs shock absorbers are mounted on the
wheels of vehicles to absorb impacts and damp vibrations resulting from movement
on the bumpy road or uneven road surface.
(5) In sports : The elastic strings of a tennis or a badminton racket enable them to
rebound the ball or shuttle.
The ropes used by rock climbers have elastic properties that can save lives during
climbing accidents. The ropes are made of a continuous-drawn nylon fibre core and
a protective textile covering . This reduces the stopping force acting on a falling
climber.
A bow bends or elastic twine of the bow is stretched to store the elastic potential
energy used to propel the arrow.
The same load is applied to each spring. The load is shared equally among the springs.
Tension in each spring = W W
Extension of each spring = x Tension in each spring =
Total extension = 2x 2
If n springs are used: x
Extension of each spring =
The total extension = nx 2
If n springs are used:
x
The total extension =
n
133
Example 1 Example 4
Figure shows a graph of force, F against
The original length of a spring is 5 cm. With a
extension, x for a spring. What is the
load of mass 20 g, the length of the spring is
potential energy stored when the spring is
extended to 7 cm.
extended by 0.4 m?
Determine
(a) the extension of the spring with a load
40 g
(b) the length of the spring with a load 60 g.
the load required to extend the spring to
20 cm.
Example 2
Spring A extends by 2 cm when it hung with
a 10 g weight. Spring B extends by 4 cm
when it hung with a 10g weight. Find the
total stretch in each of the spring systems
shown in the following figure.
Example 5
Figure shows a ball of mass 10 g pushed
against one end of a spring on a smooth
surface. The original length of the spring is
-1
14 cm and its spring constant is 200 N m .
Determine
(a) the elastic potential energy stored in
the spring.
Example 3
The original length of a spring is 12 cm. With (b) the maximum velocity reached by the
a load of 20 g , the length of the spring is ball after the compressive force on the
extended to 15 cm. What is the elastic spring is removed.
potential energy stored in the spring?
134
TUTORIAL 2.11 Question 1
Figure 1 shows a boy extending the elastic
1 The relationship between stretching rubber of a catapult.
force, F, with the extension, x, of a
spring, is given by the equation:
F = kx
where k is the spring constant. What is
the unit of k? (2005)
-1
A. N m
-2
B. N m
-1
C. kg m
-2
D. kg m Figure 1
2 A spring produces an extension of 4 cm (a) State the type of energy stored in the
when a stretching force of 1.2 N is elastic rubber.
applied to it. What is the elastic
constant of the spring?
-1
A. 30 N m
-1
B. 40 N m (b) Explain the change of energy when
-1
C. 60 N m the stone is released from the elastic
rubber of the catapult.
3 The diagrams show the position of a
steel ball bearing when the spring is
compressed
and after the spring is released.
(c) What happens to the maximum
displacement if a smaller stone of
similar mass is used?
135
Question 2
Figure 2 shows the arrangement of an
apparatus in an experiment to determine the
relationship between the extension e of a
spring T with weight W. The relationship of e
with W is shown in the graph in Figure 2.1
Figure 2.2
Question 3
Figure (a) shows an archer shoots a target
Figure (b) the archer shoots the same target
but at different distance.
Figure 2.1
136