Hooke’s Law

The following topics will be discussed in this presentation:

1. Hooke’s law
2. Elastic behaviour of materials by stretching a spring and
producing a graph of force versus extension

3. Plastic behaviour of materials

 Hooke’s Law

Hooke’s law: Extension produced in

a material is proportional to the
tensile force, within the elastic limit.
In this test a spring is extended by an
applied force. The extension
Force

a produced is recorded and plotted

b against force.
c At the start of the test the extension
d is zero as no force is applied to the
e Extension spring.
f
 Hooke’s Law

Force
Force

a
1
b b b
a 2
c a
d
e Extension Extension
f

The spring is extended by an applied force. Force 1 produces an extension

which is plotted on Force versus Extension graph – i.e. point a.
As the applied force is increased to Force 2, the extension increases too.
This is shown by point b on the graph.
 Hooke’s Law

Force
Force

a c c
b b b
c a a
3
d d
e Extension Extension 4
f

As the force is increased, the extension of the spring increases to mark c.

On further increasing the force, the spring extends to mark d. The graph
is a straight line showing elastic behaviour of spring.
 Hooke’s Law

f
e
d d

Force
Force

a c c
b b b
c a a
d
e 4 Extension Extension e
f 5

If the force is removed at any A further increase in force will cause a

point up to the elastic limit, larger extension of the spring and its
the spring reverts back to its extension is no longer proportional to the
original shape and size force, hence the shape of the graph
changes.
 Hooke’s Law

f
If the force is removed now the e
spring does not revert back to its d
original shape and size. This

Force
change is called the permanent c
set. b
a

Extension e
5
Permanent set