PRACTICAL 4

TITLE: TO FIND THE FORCE CONSTANT OF A SPRING

OBJECTIVES:
1. To study the application of Hooke ‘s Law.
2. To study the forces in equilibrium.
3. To study the resolution of vector quantities.
RESULTS
m = 40g
lo = 1.7cm
Length of spring x = l – lo (± x = l – lo (± Angle,   1 tan θ
after extension, 0.1 cm) 0.1 m)
  0.1 cm
2.0 0.3 0.003 46° 1.036
2.1 0.4 0.004 48° 1.111
2.1 0.4 0.004 50° 1.192
2.3 0.6 0.006 53° 1.327
2.4 0.7 0.007 57° 1.540
2.5 0.8 0.008 59° 1.664
2.6 0.9 0.009 62° 1.881
2.8 1.1 0.011 66° 2.246
5.2 0.052 11.997

CENTROID:
∑ tan θ ∑x
=( 8 , 8 )
11.997 5,2
=( ,
8 8 )

= (1.500, 0.65)

GRAPH:
GRADIENT, S:
 1.10−0.30
S = ( 2.2−1 . 0 ¿

0.80
= ( 1.2 )

= 0.67cm
= 0.67 ÷ 100
0.0067m
FORCE CONSTANT CALCULATION:
X: Tsinθ = kx 1
Y : Tcosθ = mg 2
Tsin θ kx
½ = Tcosθ = mg

kx
tanθ = mg

mg
x= k tanθ+0

mg
S= k

mg
Kexp = S

(40÷ 1000)(9.8)N
=
0.0067 m
(0.04)( 9.8)N
=
0.0067 m
0.392 N
= 0.0067 m

= 58.507 N/m
¿
PERCENTAGE ERROR % = ¿ exp−ref ∨ ref ×100 % ¿
|58.507−60|
= × 100 %
60
|−1.493|
= ×100 %
60
 = 2.488%
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION:
Besides measuring the spring constant using two very different methods, we verified
Hooke’s law, verified the linear relationship between period squared and load for a
vertically oscillating spring, and observed that the amplitude of the oscillations did not affect
the period.
The sources of error in this part of the experiment are due to the precision of the location
measurement using the meter stick and the accuracy of the slotted masses. The meter stick
was mounted vertically and behind the spring. The location was measured relative to the
base of the mass hanger. Effort was made to sight the measurements directly; however,
because of the location of the meter stick it was necessary to view the meter stick at a slight
angle. However, this sighting was required for each measurement, and the displacement
was the difference between the location and the reference. Thus, this systematic error due
to parallax should be minimal. However the random error of measurement precision
remains. For displacements 20 cm or more, the uncertainty of the displacement of the
spring is 0.5 % or less and has little impact on the uncertainty of k; in those cases the 1%
uncertainty in the slotted masses has the greatest contribution to the uncertainty of k.
However, for small displacements the displacement uncertainty has the largest impact on
the uncertainty in k.
The application of Hooke’s Law, forces in equilibrium and the resolution of vector quantities
were studied.
The percentage error% in this experiment is 2.488%.