Required Practicals - Stretching a Spring Flashcards
What is the goal of the spring stretching practical?
To see what happens when we apply a force to a spring.
What is the equipment for the stretching of a spring practical?
Two bosses
Two clamps
Clamp stand
Place a heavy weight on the clamp stand to prevent it from falling over.
Attach a metre rule and a spring to the clamp.
The top of the spring must be at the zero point on the metre rule and vertical.
The bottom of the spring has a wooden splint attached, a pointer.
Why must the metre rule be vertical?
To ensure readings are not inaccurate.
Why must the pointer be horizontal?
Otherwise, the readings would be inaccurate.
How do we find the unstretched length?
Read the position of the pointer on the metre rule at the beginning.
What do we hang on the spring at first?
A 1N weight.
What do we do after placing a 1N weight on the spring?
Record the position of the pointer on the metre rule.
How do we repeat the experiment?
Continue adding 1N weights to the spring and record the different positions of the pointer on the metre rule.
How do we calculate the extension produced by adding each weight?
Subtract the length of the unstretched spring from each reading.
How do we figure out the weight of an object with extension and weight?
Measure the extension of the spring when it is placed in the apparatus.
Read the weight of the stone from the extension/weight graph.
What is the extension/weight graph like?
A straight line going through the origin.
What is the relationship between extension and weight?
Extension is directly proportional to the weight.
Why is there a linear relationship between force and extension?
There is a straight line graph between the two.
Why is the spring elastic?
If we remove the weight, the extension returns to zero.
What happens if we add too much weight to the spring?
The graph becomes non-linear.
We have inelastically deformed it as we have exceeded the limit of proportionality by overstretching it.
