Hookes Law Lab - pdf-1

Hooke’s Law and The Spring Constant Lab
using
(https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/masses-and-springs/latest/masses-and-springs_en.html)
Objectives:
1. To investigate Hooke’s law
2. To determine the spring constant of a spring graphically and analytically
3. To use Hooke’s law to determine unknown masses hung on a spring
Apparatus:
PhET Simulation: Masses and Springs
Theory:
Hooke’s law is a significant and widely used law in physics and engineering, and its
applications go far beyond springs. Mainly, Hooke’s law states that the extension of a spring,
whether it is a compression or an expansion, is directly proportional to
the applied force.
If a spring obeys Hooke’s law, then a graph of the applied force

against extension will be a straight line whose slope is k: the spring
constant. Therefore, to graphically determine the spring constant of a
spring, the slope of the force versus extension graph must be calculated.
Hooke’s law is represented by the straight-line equation: 𝐹 = 𝑘𝑥 where:

F = the applied force (N)
k = the spring constant (N/m)
x = the extension of the spring (m)
To analytically determine the spring constant of a spring, Hooke’s law must be solved for k.
𝐹
The equation yields 𝑘 = 𝑥 .
Procedure:
This study source was downloaded by 100000865875406 from CourseHero.com on 10-21-2023 08:44:21 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/135764269/Hookes-Law-Labpdf/
Open the following link and click the lab option: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/masses-
and-springs/latest/masses-and-springs_en.html
Part 1: Investigating Hooke’s Law and Determining the Spring Constant
1. Check the ‘Displacement’ and ‘Movable Line’ options in the box to the right.
2. Slide the ‘Damping’ option to ‘Lots’; this will help in stopping the spring from
springing back to its relaxed position.
3. Slide the ‘Mass’ option to 50.0 g and place the mass onto the spring.
4. Once the spring stops oscillating, place the dotted red line just below the tip of the green
arrow.
5. Use the ruler tool to measure the extension of the spring from the blue
line to the red line.
6. The ruler gives measurements in (cm); convert the extension to (m)
and record it in table 1.
7. Convert the mass to (kg) and calculate its weight by multiplying it by 9.80 m/s2. Record
the weight in table 1.
8. Repeat the experiment for the 100g and 250g masses and record your findings in table 1.
Table 1: Extension of a Spring When Attached to Different Masses

Mass (g) Mass (kg) Weight (N) Extension (m)
50.0 0.050 0.49 0.090
100.0 0.10 0.98 0.18
250.0 0.25 2.45 0.45
a) Using Microsoft Excel, plot a graph of force (weight) versus extension and insert it
below. Note: Force is plotted on the y-axis, and extension is plotted on the x-axis.
(Graph must have appropriate title and axis label with units)
Effect of Weight Attached to Extension of Spring

3
Weight Attached to Spring (N)
2.5 0.41, 2.45
1.5
1 0.18, 0.98
0.5 0.09, 0.49
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45
Extension of Spring (m)
b) From the graph, determine the value of the spring constant (Show all your slope
calculations and not the computer-generated value. include units).
The slope between two given points on a graph can be represented by the formula,
m = (y2 – y1) / (x2 - x1)
Where “m” represents the slope between the two points, “y1” and “y2” represent the y-values
of the first and second datapoints, respectively, and “x1” and “x2” represent the x-values of
the first and second datapoints, respectively. Two datapoints given on the graph are (0.090,
0.49) and (0.18, 0.98)
m = (y2 – y1) / (x2-x1)

m = (0.98 – 0.49) / (0.18 – 0.090)
m = 0.49 / 0.090
m = 5.44
∴ the spring constant is 5.4 N/m.
c) Calculate the value of the spring constant for the 3 trials using Hooke’s Law.
Calculate the average value of k.
Fg = k•x, where “k” is the spring constant, “x” is the displacement (how far the spring
extended), and “Fg” is the force of gravity acting on the spring (the weight attached to
it). Since k is unknown, the formula is rearranged for the value of k.
Fg = k•x
Fg / x = (k•x) /
k = Fg / x
Now, three different values of “k” can be found, which can be labelled k1, k2, and k3, for
the first, second, and third sets of data given, respectively. The distances the spring
extended can be labelled as x1, x2, and x3, and the weights attached to the spring can be
labelled as Fg1, Fg2, and Fg3.
x1 = 0.090 m, Fg1 = 0.49 N

x2 = 0.18 m, Fg2 = 0.98 N
x3 = 0.41 m, Fg3 = 2.45 N
k1 = Fg / x
k1 = 0.49 N / 0.090 m
k1 = 5.4 N/m
k2 = Fg / x
k2 = 0.98 N / 0.18 m
k2 = 5.4 N/m
k3 = Fg / x
k3 = 2.45 N / 0.45 m
k3 = 5.4 N/m
Let the average of the experimental spring constant values be represented by “ka”. The
average of the spring constant values will be the sum of the spring constant values, k.
divided by the number of values, n.
ka = Σk / n
ka = (k1 + k2 + k3) / n
ka = (5.4 N/m + 5.4 N/m + 5.4 N/m) / 3
ka = (k1 + k2 + k3) / n
ka = 16.3 N/m / 3
ka = 5.4s N/m
∴ the average spring constant value is 5.4 N/m.
d) What is the relationship between force and extension?

The relationship between the two applied to the spring and the distance is that the force
that has been applied to the spring is parallel to the distance the spring “springs” out to.
Meaning that as the force applied increases, the distance extended should increase. If the
distance it extends decreases, then that means the applied force on the spring also
decreased, and vice versa for both.
e) What evidence from the graph proves your answer to part c?

The slope moves the answer given in part c) due to the relationship for the spring
constant is the applied force on the spring over the extended distance of the spring. On
the graph above, the y-axis represents the applied force to the spring. The x-axis
represents the extended distance. Meaning that the formula for the spring’s constant is
the save as dividing the y-coordinate by the x-coordinate. Similar to the slope formula,
the y-coordinates divided by the difference of the x-coordinate for 2 points each. This
means that the slope should be equal to the experimental spring constant.
f) Does the value of the spring constant for one spring vary with the magnitude of the
force acting on it?
If the magnitude alone acting on the spring is increased. In that case the answer would
be yes, the spring constant for the spring will vary with the magnitude of force.
However, in this case, this is not true. The magnitude acting on the spring is
proportional to the distance that the spring extends to. In the lab, as the weigh attached
increases, the distance that it extends to also increases by the same amount. Due to this
factor, the spring constant does not change.
g) In your own words, write a definition for the spring constant (k).
The spring constant, k, is a characteristic of the spring that represents the amount of the
spring’s stiffness. This is expressed by a formula which is the acting force on the spring
over the distance that the spring is either compressed or expanded.
Part 2: Determining Unknown Masses Hung on a Spring
Using the average value for the spring constant you calculated using Hooke’s Law, work
backwards to find the masses of the red and blue hangers in the simulation and record them in
table 2 (g = 9.80 m/s2).
Table 2
Spring Constant Extension
Mass Color Weight (N) Mass (kg)
(N/m) (m)
Orange 5.4 0.61 3.3 0.34
Blue 5.4 0.39 2.1 0.22
Conclusion:
To conclude, during this lab, Hooke’s Law was looked into to determine the spring constant,
k, of a spring graphically, and to use Hooke’s Law to confirm unknown masses being hung
on the spring. Done through a virtual lab created by the University of Colorado Boulder. The
spring constant came to be 5.4 N/m, which indicates the spring’s stiffness. Using this we
found two unknown masses of 0.34 kg and 0.22 kg, depending on the spring.
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Hooke’s Law and The Spring Constant Lab

If a spring obeys Hooke’s law, then a graph of the applied force

Hooke’s law is represented by the straight-line equation: 𝐹 = 𝑘𝑥 where:

Part 1: Investigating Hooke’s Law and Determining the Spring Constant

Table 1: Extension of a Spring When Attached to Different Masses

Effect of Weight Attached to Extension of Spring

2.5 0.41, 2.45

0.5 0.09, 0.49

m = (y2 – y1) / (x2 - x1)

m = (y2 – y1) / (x2-x1)

x1 = 0.090 m, Fg1 = 0.49 N

d) What is the relationship between force and extension?

e) What evidence from the graph proves your answer to part c?

Part 2: Determining Unknown Masses Hung on a Spring

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