Mechanics: Hooke's Law
Investigating spring extension under varying slotted masses.
STATUS
This lab is in development.
When complete, this will be a guided, step-by-step 3D simulation of the real physics practical. For now, you can read exactly what the simulation will cover below.
What you’ll do
The guided simulation will walk you through these steps in order.
- 01Clamp the spring vertically from a stand; attach a pointer and position a metre rule alongside it.
- 02Record the natural (unloaded) length of the spring as the reference position.
- 03Add slotted masses one at a time (e.g. 100 g increments); after each addition, allow the spring to settle and record the new length.
- 04Calculate the extension (new length − natural length) for each load.
- 05Plot a load-extension graph; identify the linear (Hooke's Law) region and the elastic limit.
- 06Calculate the spring constant k from the gradient of the linear region: k = F/x (N/m).
- 07Remove masses and check whether the spring returns to its original length; note if the elastic limit was exceeded.