University of Balamand

Faculty of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Experimentation & Instrumentation

MECH 212

Experiment 1: Spring Stiffness

Table of contents
Table of figures.........................................................................................3
List of nomenclatures...............................................................................3
Introduction..............................................................................................5
Theoretical presentation..........................................................................6
1. Description and accuracy of material............................................6
2. Experimental procedure................................................................8
3. Results............................................................................................9
Discussion...............................................................................................11
Conclusion...............................................................................................12
References..............................................................................................13
Table of figures
Figure 1: the ruler
Figure 2: Iron mas hanger
Figure 3: A yellow and a black spring
Figure 4: Experimental procedure

List of nomenclatures
K: stiffness (N/KG)
W: weight
X: the elongation (L1-L0)
L: length
W: weight
m: mass
g: 9.81m/s2
Abstract

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the stifness of spring using both
numerical and graphical methods. The experiment applies the Hook’s law by using
two springs; one yellow and the other black, a mass hanger and weights. We
found the stiffness of the black spring equal to 24.9N/m and that of the yellow
one equal to 12.5N/m
Introduction
The aim of this experiment is to determine the stiffness of a black a
yellow spring by adding mass from 0 to 10kgs to both and retrieving the
distance x in order to calculate the stiffness. Later on, the linearity of
the two springs is determined by putting the data on a graph.
This experiment have two objectives:
 Calculate the stiffness.
 Define its linearity.
Theoretical presentation
1. Description and accuracy of material

 The ruler:
 Used to measure the initial length and the elongation after
weights addition.
 It wasn’t so accurate due to some issues related to the endpoint
which depends on the sight we were looking at, but for sure it
would be more accurate if the ruler was put near the spring.

Figure 1: the ruler

 The iron mass hanger:

 Where the weights wwere hanged
 It is not precise because of the vibration of the springs when
we add new weights.

Figure 2: Iron mas hanger

  The springs:
 A yellow and a black spring
 made from a variety of elastic materials, the most common
being spring steel.

Figure 3: A yellow and a black spring

 F=KX :Hooke’s law

 Force F: needed to extend or compress a spring by some
distance X proportional to that distance,
 Constant K: factor characteristic of the spring stiffness
 X: small compared to the total possible deformation of the
spring
 2. Experimental procedure
1. We measure L0, the initial length of the yellow and black springs.
2. We add 1 kg one after one and we measure the new length after
each addition until a weight of 10kgs was reached.
3. The same procedure is repeated with the second spring.

Figure 4: Experimental procedure

4. Finally, we put everything on graphs to compute the linearity of

the two springs.
 3. Results
Black spring

M W L0 L1 X K
1 9.81 44.2 44.6 0.4 24.5
19.6
2 44.2
2 45.1 0.9 21.8
29.4
3 44.2
3 45.4 1.2 24.5
39.2
4 44.2
4 45.8 1.6 24.5
5 49.5 44.2 46 1.8 27.5
58.8
6 44.2
7 46.5 2.3 25.5
68.6
7 44.2
7 47 2.8 24.5
78.4
8 44.2
8 47.3 3.1 25.3
88.2
9 44.2
9 47.7 3.5 25.2
10 98.1 44.2 48 3.8 25.8
Yellow spring

M W L0 L1 X K
14.0
1 40.6
9.81 41.3 0.7 1
19.6 13.0
2 40.6
2 42.1 1.5 8
29.4
3 40.6
3 43.1 2.5 11.8
39.2
4 40.6
4 44.1 3.5 11.2
5 49.5 40.6 44.9 4.3 11.5
58.8
6 40.6
7 45.9 4.3 13.7
68.6
7 40.6
7 46.9 5.3 13
78.4
8 40.6
8 47.8 6.2 12.7
88.2
9 40.6
9 48.8 7.2 12.3
10 98.1 40.6 49.7 8.1 12.1
Discussion

The two graphs represent a straight line passing through origin. Elongation of the springs
get greater after adding consecutive weights. The L0 of the black spring was 44.2 cm
higher than that of the yellow spring 40.6 cm. After adding 10 kgs we notice that the
average stiffness of the yellow spring is 12.5 N/m, less than that of the black spring
which 24.9N/m. Some errors may occur including:
• Systematic errors: due to the inaccuracy of the ruler while measuring the length of the
spring after adding weights.
• Random error: while collecting data and experimentation. The random error can be
estimated to ±0.1.
Conclusion
Based on the discussion and the tables above, the result was approximately 90% precise.
We could say that the two springs are linear to an extend and these two springs would
touch linearity limits.
References

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVr4xbu9XKoIA2y4PxQt.;_ylu=X3oD
MTByMDgyYjJiBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Ruler&fr=yhs-
avast-brwsr001&hspart=avast&hsimp=yhs-brwsr001#id=27&iurl=http%3A%2F
%2Fgirlloveszombie.files.wordpress.com
%2F2012%2F03%2F12_inch_30_cm_wooden_ruler_with.jpg&action=click
https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVvSAdO9X7RgA1P0PxQt.;_ylu=X3oD
MTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?
p=Iron+Mass+Hanger&fr=yhs-avast-brwsr001&hspart=avast&hsimp=yhs-
brwsr001#id=12&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Ffanyv88.com%3A443%2Fhttp%2Fwww.pasco.com%2Fimages%2Fproducts%2Fme
%2FME7566_ENLRG_165083.jpg&action=click
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooke%27s_law
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooke%27s_law#/media/File:Hookes-law-springs.png