PHYSICS Hooke’s Law Experiment

Objectives:

1) Recording values of spring constant, spring force and displacement. 2)

Determining how the spring constant influences the displacement.
3) Understanding what the spring constant suggests about the strength of
the spring used.
4) Obtaining the relationship between applied force and displacement
using graphical method.
Theory:
1. Hooke's law states that the force needed to extend or compress a spring by some
distance scales linearly with respect to that distance.
2. If a spring obeys Hooke's law, then a graph of applied force against extension will
be a straight line, whose gradient (slope) is k:
3. The equation of the straight line is:

Wherein, 𝐹 = 𝑘 𝑥 𝐹𝑘 = spring constant =

stretching force applied to the spring

𝑥 = extension of the spring

Procedure:

1. Enter the simulation using the link:

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/hookes-law/latest/hookes-
law_en.h tml
 2. Click on Intro.
3. Set a constant value of 50 N for Applied Force and different values for
spring constant as the ones given in the table below. Record the varying
displacement in each trial.
4. Express your observations by answering the questions.
5. In part-2, change the values for applied force in each trial and record
the corresponding displacements. Plot a graph for Applied Force Vs.
Displacement.
6. Find the slope (k-Spring Constant) and evaluate the percentage error.
Table of Results Part-1:
Trial No. Applied Force Spring Constant Displacement
(N) (N/m) (m)
1. 50 100 0.500

2. 50 300 0.167

3. 50 500 0.100

4. 50 700 0.071

Questions

1. How does the spring constant influence the displacement? Do they

increase or decrease together?
answer: If the spring constant increases the displacement of the spring
will decrease

2. What does a higher value of k and a lower value of k tell about the
strength of the spring? (Hint: In which case is it soft or stiff?)
answer: more force is required to stretch it a certain length than
you would need to stretch a less stiff spring the same length.
 Part-2: Now, change the values of applied Force and record the
displacement for each observation.

Trial No. Applied Force (N) (Y- Displacement (m) (X-

axis) axis)

1. 20 0.200

2. 30 0.300

3. 50 0.500

4. 70 0.700

Paste the graph

The slope gives the value of k (Spring Constant)
Slope (k exp) = 100 Spring constant (k real) = 100

Percentage error δ%= 0

Questions

1) How is the relationship between applied force and displacement? Does it approve
Hooke’s Law?
answer : Mathematically, Hooke’s law states that the applied force F equals a
constant k times the displacement or change in length x, or F = kx. The value of k
depends not only on the kind of elastic material under consideration but also on its
dimensions and shape.
Britann
2) A horizontal spring has a spring constant of 80.0 N/m. What force must be applied
to the spring to compress it by 4.0 cm?
answer : A spring is stretched 0.50 m and the force was 30000 N.
 3) A spring is stretched 0.50 m and the force was 30000 N. What is the spring constant?

answer : A spring with a constant of 76 N/m is extended by 0.9 m.

CONCLUSION