PHYSICS 2.

4 Name:

WORKSHEET NINE SPRINGS

1. In your own words describe what the spring constant tells you about a certain spring.

2. Explain how you would do an experiment to determine the spring constant of a spring. Explain
what measurements you would take and describe how you would analyse the data obtained.

3. A spring has a spring constant of 0.2 Nm-1. Would it be easy or hard to stretch this spring?

4. Calculate the spring constant for the following springs.

(a) The spring length increases by 10 cm when a stretching force of 2 N is applied to it.

(b) The spring has a natural length of 30 cm and when a stretching force of 12 N is applied, its
new length is 33 cm.

5. A spring has a force constant of 200 Nm-1. How much force would be required to increase its
length by 25 cm?

6. A steel cable is used to pull a boat out of the water and onto its trailer. If the force required to
pull the boat up is 1200 N, calculate the amount that the cable stretches if the cable has a spring
constant of 2.0 x 105 Nm-1?
7. Sketch the force-extension graph of a spring that has a spring constant of 80 Nm-1.

What characteristic of the graph Force (N)

represents the work done in stretching
the spring?

Extension (m)

8. Calculate the energy stored in a spring that has been stretched from 80 cm to 1.20 meters. The
extension required a force of 5 N.

9. The graph shows Hooke’s law data for

a particular spring. Calculate Force (N)
30
(a) the spring constant. 25
20
15
10
(b) the energy used to stretch the 5
spring by 35 cm.
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Extension (cm)

10. A 30 cm spring is hung from the ceiling and a mass of 1.2 kg is hung from it. The spring
stretches to a new length of 38 cm.

(a) What is the magnitude of the extension force operating?

(b) What is the spring constant of the spring?

(c) How much elastic potential energy is stored in the spring?