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OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS

Least count of the scale=
Mass
suspended Reading of the pointer (cm) Mean, Extension
(g) z=(x+y)/2 (cm)
On loading On unloading
(x) (y) (cm)

W0

W0+50

W0+100

W0+150

W0+200
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Experiment No.
HELICAL SPRING
Aim:
To find the force constant of a helical spring by plotting a graph between load and extension.

Apparatus:
A spring with a horizontal pointer at its lower end, which can move over a vertical wooden scale, a
stand, a set of slotted weights with a weight hanger etc

Theory:
According to Hooke’s law, extension produced in a spring ‘l’ is directly proportional to the load ‘F’.
or
where ‘k’ is called the force constant or the spring constant of the spring.
A graph drawn with load along X axis and extension along Y axis will be a straight line. From its slope the
value of spring constant, k can be determined.

Procedure:

1. A weight hanger (dead load), is suspended to keep the spring vertical. The reading of the pointer on
the metre scale is noted.

2. Now, gently add suitable load, say, 50 g slotted weights, to the hanger one by one and the reading of
the pointer is noted in each case, till the maximum load is reached.

3. The weights are then removed one by one and the reading of the pointer is noted in each case of
unloading.

4. The average of the readings for each load during loading and unloading is calculated in each case.
Let z0, z1, z2, z3…etc.., be the average readings of the pointer for the loads W0, (W0+50), (W0+100),
(W0+150) etc.

5. From this, extension, l for the loads(W0+50), (W0+100), (W0+150) etc., are calculated as (z1-z0), (z2-
z0), (z3-z0) respectively.

6. A graph is drawn with load M along X axis and extension, l along the Y axis. From the slope of the
graph spring constant k can be determined.

Result:
From load-extension graph, the force constant of the given spring =
Precautions:
1 Take readings only when the oscillations have died out.
2. Take readings without parallax
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