Benghazi University

Faculty of Engineering
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department

Physics Lab I
ES 181

Experiment No. (10)

Measurement of spring
constant of spiral spring and acceleration
due to gravity g

Student’s Name: ‫محمد الرفاعي يوسف الشيخي‬

ID no: 24612
Group Number: A (4) Day: Sunday
Date 2/12/2018

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 Physics Lab I
ES181

Experiment No. (10)

Measurement of spring
constant of spiral spring and acceleration due to gravity g

Apparatus: Helical spring to which a light pointer is attached, rigid stand and clamp,
meter ruler, scale pan attached to the spring, weights and stop-watch
Theory: A helical spring subject to extension by an
applied load conforms to hook's law, which states
that the stress is proportional to the strain , i.e. the
load is proportional to the extension it produces , if a
mass m is attached to the string , the spring extend to
distance y , then a restoring force :
F restoring=−ky (1)

Comes into play where the load is:

F = mg (2)
Fig.1
Using equation (1) and (2), one can write:
y g
Mg = |-ky| or m = k (3)

On the other hand, the spring on being released

executes vertical oscillations which in nature are simple harmonic motion (SHM). The
equation of the mass being:
d² y
ma = m dt ² = m y ̄ = -ky (4)

Where a (ȳ) is acceleration, equation (4) can also be written as:

k
ȳ + m y = 0 or ȳ + ω ²y=0 (5)

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k
Where ω = m is angular frequency. The time period T in terms of angular frequency ω
is given by:
2π m
T = ω or T = 2 π
k√ (6)

Where suitably for present experiment can be written as:

m
T² = 4π² k (7)

Note that the above analysis assumes the spring to be weightless.

Part (A): To find spring constant k

Method:
1) Record the mass of scale pan.
2) Attach the scale pan to the spring as shown in Fig.1 without pointer and the meter rule.
3) Add 100 gram mass in the scale pan and record it as shown in the table (1).
4) Set the system in vertical vibration by giving a small additional displacement downward
to the combined load.
5) Record the time for 20 vibrations. Repeat it two times in order to obtain an average time
of 0 oscillations.
6) Using the above step determine the time period T.
7) Repeat steps (3) to (6) at least five times with the increasing loads of 100 gram each time.

Observation:
Mass of the pan= 25.77g=25.77¿ 10−3 kg

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Mass1.4
of the pan Time for 20
+Mass on the pan f(x) = 0.18 x + 0.16
R² = 0.99vibrations
T^2 Average
verses mtime Time period for
(kg)
1.2 I II for 20 one T² (s²)
vibrations(t́ ) vibration(T(s))
1
0.1+0.0257=0.1257kg 11 10 10.5 0.525 0.2756
0.2+0.0257=0.2257kg
0.8 12 13 12.5 0.625 0.3906
0.3+0.0257=0.2357kg
T^2 (s^2) 14 15.5 14.75 0.7375 0.5439
0.6

0.4+0.0257=0.4257kg 19 20 19.5 0.975 0.9506

0.4

0.2

0
0 1 2 3 m (kg)
4 5 6 7 8
Calculation and Results:

Excel Graph:

From graph in Fig2.a Slope = 1

Y =mx+c

4π² 4π²
Slope = k → or k = slope

4π²
K = 1.789 =¿.

Part (B): Determination of the acceleration due to gravity g

Observations:

Initial position ( y 1 ¿ of the pointer with scale pan (no load on pan) = 30=0.33 meter
Fig.2.a

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Mass of the pan + y 2(position when

0.3
Mass on the pan(kg) y versesy m
load exist)(m). = ( y 2− y 1 ¿
f(x) = 0.46 x − 0.02 (m)
0.25 R² = 1
0.1+0.0257=0.1257kg 0.37m 0.04m
0.2+0.0257=0.2257kg
0.2 0.41m
0.08m
0.3+0.0257=0.2357kg 0.46m 0.13m
y0.15
(meter)
0.4+0.0257=0.4257kg 0.52m 0.19m
0.1

0.05

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3m (kg) 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
Calculation and Result:
Excel Graph:
m
From graph in Fig.3.a Slope=0.455( kg ¿

g m
Slope = k or g = slope * k = 10.26 ( 2 ¿
s

greal −g measured
R . P . E %= | greal | ∗100=4.59 %

Handmade Graph:

Fig.3.a

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Fig.3.b
m
From graph in Fig.3.b Slope= ( kg ¿

g m
Slope = k or g = slope * k =11.03 ( 2 ¿
s

greal −g measured
R . P . E %= | greal | ∗100=12.44 %

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