Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering

Universiti Malaysia Pahang

BFF2821 Mechanics Laboratory

Title Spring Balance Category Dynamics

Prepared by Matrix No.

Matrix No.

Date/Time

1. Introduction

When a coiled spring is stretched or compressed, it stores energy. Because of this, coiled spring can be used to
cushion the effects of sudden loads, as in shock absorbers, buffers, etc. coiled spring are also used to measure
weights by recording the amount of deflection of the spring which is needed to balance the weight. When used
in this way they are called spring balance.

When a spring is stretched it can be shown that the increase in length of the spring is always proportional to
the stretching force (providing the spring is not over stretched). The same applies to a spring which is
compressed. This is summarized by the Hooke’s Law (see Equation 1). Because of this, a spring balance has a
uniform (evenly divided) scale which shows the units of weight.

(1)
F = k.x
F = force
k = spring constant
x = changes in spring length

The objective of this experiment is to verify that the extension of a coiled spring is proportional to the load
applied, and to show the principle of a Hooke’s law.

2. Apparatus

Apparatus Quantity/Specification Figure

Mounting panel 1 NIL

Tension springs 1

Compression bracket assembly 1 -

Adjustable hook 1

© FKP-UMP 2012
Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering
Universiti Malaysia Pahang

Apparatus Quantity/Specification Figure

Knurled nuts 3

Weight hook 1

Weight 1 set NIL

Spring balance 10N

3. Procedure

3.1 Preparation

1. Secure the mounting panel in the vertical position.

2. Position the adjustable hook and secure with nut.
3. Secure the compression bracket assembly with short screws and nuts.

3.2 Test 1: Tension

1. Hang the tension spring from the hook.

2. Hang a weight hook on the lower end of the spring.
3. Tape a piece of plain paper on the mounting panel so that the bottom of the weight hook is close to the
top of the paper (see Figure 1).
4. Mark the level of the weight hook on the paper with a pencil.
5. Place a load, W of 1N on the weight hook and mark the new level of the weight hook after extension.
6. Record the weight besides the mark.
7. Add 1N loads and mark the new level.
8. Repeat by adding 1N loads until 5N is recorded.
9. Remove the load 1N at a time and mark the level weight hook at each step until all loads have been
removed.

© FKP-UMP 2012
Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering
Universiti Malaysia Pahang

Figure 1: Experiment setup for spring balance

3.3 Test 2: Tension

1. Repeat Test 1 by adding the following loads to the weight hook: 2N, 4N, 6N, 8N, and 10N.
2. Mark the level of spring when a new load is added to the weight hook.
3. Remove the load 2N at a time and mark the level weight hook at each step until all loads have been
removed.

3.4 Test 3: Compression

1. Move the plain paper used in Test 1 & Test 2 so that it covers an area at least from the top of the
compression bracket to the top of the vertical rod (see Figure 1).
2. Place a light weight (5g) in the sleeve and mark the level of sleeve as “o” on the paper.
3. Add a load of 1N to the sleeve and mark the new level of the bottom of the weight.
4. Record the weight beside the mark.
5. Repeat by adding 1N loads until 5N is recorded.
6. Remove the load 1N at a time and mark the level of the sleeve until all loads have been removed.

4. Results

Tabulate your test data on a piece of paper in format as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Load versus elongation for spring balance

Load, F (N) Level (m) Elongation, x (m)

Plot the graph F versus x graph for increasing and decreasing load for each of the test conducted.

© FKP-UMP 2012
Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering
Universiti Malaysia Pahang

5. Discussions

Based on your results obtained, write your answers for the following questions:

1. Calculate the spring constant value, k. without using f=kx.

2. Explain why springs are usually used in building weighing device.

6. Conclusions

Write your conclusions accordingly.

© FKP-UMP 2012