HOOKE’S LAW

TECHNICAL REPORT (STUDY SKILL

ASSGINMENT)

FARNBOROUGH COLLEGE OF TECHONOLOGY ( AERO

2010 )

MESHKATH IBNE SAYED

Contents:

ABSTRACT..................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................3
THEORY.....................................................................................................3
PROCEDURE:...............................................................................................4
RESULTS:...................................................................................................4
DATA AND CALCULATIONS:..............................................................................5
GRAPH:.....................................................................................................6
DISCUSSION:................................................................................................7
APPLICATIONS OF HOOKE'S LAW’S EXPERIMENT:.....................................................7
CONCLUSION:..............................................................................................7
BIBLIOGRAPHY:............................................................................................8
Y

FIGURE 1: SPRING AND LOAD........................................................................................................................4

FIGURE 2: GRAPH..............................................................................................................................................6
 ABSTRACT

The spring constant of a given spring was determined both statically, by measuring its elongation
when subjected to loading, and from graphically, by measuring the change on spring with the
change of mass. The resulting values of 80.82 N/m and 81.33 N/m, respectively, indicate that the
spring's behaviour follows Hooke's law to within the limits of accuracy of the experiment.

INTRODUCTION
If it is not stretched to the point where it becomes permanently deformed, the behaviour of a properly
wound coiled spring, when subjected to a stretching force, can be expected to follow Hooke's Law.
[Bueche, p. 95] (Note that Hooke's Law applies more generally to many more systems than just
ordinary springs.) To see whether an ordinary screen door spring behaves similarly, one such spring
was suspended by one end from a horizontal support and masses were hung from its other end to
stretch it as shown in Figure 1. The resulting data were used to construct a graph of load as a function
of elongation, from which it was possible to obtain the spring constant of the spring. In addition, for
one value of load the spring was given a small additional stretch and released, thereby setting the
system into vertical oscillation. Assuming this motion to be simple harmonic, its period also yields a
spring constant, thereby providing an additional check. Though it’s not going to be used in this time .

THEORY
A weight, W = mg, is hung from one end of an ordinary spring, causing it to stretch a distance x, then
an equal and opposite force, F, is created in the spring which acts to oppose the pull of the weight. If
W is not so large as to permanently distort the spring, then this force, F, will restore the spring to its
original length after the load is removed. F is thus called an elastic force and it is well known that the
magnitude of an elastic restoring force is directly proportional to the stretch,
F = kx

A relationship called Hooke's Law after the 17th century scientist who studied it. The constant k is
called the spring constant, or stiffness coefficient. To emphasize that x refers to the change in length
of the spring we write
F = mg = k∆L .. .. .. (1)
In this form it is apparent that if a plot of F as a function of ∆L has a linear portion, this provides
confirmation that the spring follows Hooke's Law and enables us to find k.

An additional approach is possible. One definition of simple harmonic motion (SHM) is that it is
motion under a linear, “Hooke's Law” restoring force. For such a motion we have, from Newton's
second law,
F = - kx = ma.
The minus sign appears since in this case the acceleration of the object in SHM is in the direction
opposite to the force causing it. From this definition
a =d2x/dt2= - kx/m

The solution to this differential equation is given in standard physics textbooks and the resulting
expression for the period, T, of the SHM is

m
T =2 π
√ k
.. .. ..(11)

where k is again the spring constant and m is the mass which is under motion. This provides an
additional method for testing whether the spring obeys Hooke's Law. But we are not going to apply
this method this time .

Clamp

Stand Spring

Table Known mass

Clamp Metre rule

Figure : spring and load

PROCEDURE:
We hung a common screen door spring directly from a horizontal metal rod secured to the laboratory
bench by a C-clamp, another pole and a right-angle clamp. We attached a mass hanger directly to the
bottom of the hanging spring to enable us to vary the load hanging from the spring. Vernier callipers
were used to measure the vertical distances, of the hanging spring, for a variety of load masses
ranging up to 2kg. (Table 1) Masses were added to the spring in a more or less random order so as to
better observe the overall correlation of load and elongation as we graphed the data during collection.

For ease in reading, the data are reproduced in (Table 1) in order of increasing load. Mass, in kg, is
plotted against elongation, in m, in the graph .

RESULTS:
Mass added to spring = 0kg, reading on metre rule = 19cm

Mass added to spring = 0.2kg, reading on metre rule = 21.3cm

Mass added to spring = 0.4kg, reading on metre rule = 23.8cm

Mass added to spring = 0.6kg, reading on metre rule = 26.3cm

Mass added to spring = 0.8kg, reading on metre rule = 28.7cm

Mass added to spring = 1.0kg, reading on metre rule = 31.1cm

Mass added to spring = 1.2kg, reading on metre rule = 33.4cm

Mass added to spring = 1.4kg, reading on metre rule = 35.8cm

Mass added to spring = 1.6kg, reading on metre rule = 39.4cm

Mass added to spring = 1.8kg, reading on metre rule = 44.2cm

Mass added to spring = 2.0kg, reading on metre rule = 51.4cm

(Calculate the force applied to the spring/rubber band in each trial (W = mg) Use g = 9.8 m/s 2.

Calculate the stretch of the spring/rubber band in each trial (the difference in the starting and ending
positions).

Draw graphs of force versus stretch for the spring and the rubber band.

DATA AND CALCULATIONS:

The mass used in calculating k was not merely the load attached to the bottom of the spring. The
reason for this is that the system that is vibrating includes the spring itself. However, the entire spring
does not vibrate with the same amplitude as the load and therefore it is reasonable to assume that the
effective load is the mass hung from the end of the spring plus some fraction of the mass of the
spring. The fraction used was 1/3 since similar experiments with other types of springs have led to
this empirical result. It was assumed that 1/3 of the mass was a reasonable approximation to the
correct value for this particular spring.

Load (kg) Load L L1 ∆L Value of

(weight) (cm) (m) k=f/∆L(N/m)
0 0 19 19 -- --

0.2 1.96 19 21.3 0.023 85.21

0.4 3.92 19 23.8 0.048 81.66

0.6 5.88 19 26.3 0.073 80.54

0.8 7.84 19 28.7 0.097 80.82

1.0 9.8 19 31.1 0.121 81.66

1.2 11.76 19 33.4 0.144 81.66

1.4 13.72 19 35.8 0.168 81.66

1.6 15.68 19 39.4 0.204 76.86

1.8 17.64 19 44.2 0.252 70

2.0 19.6 19 51.4 0.324 ---

Table : stress against the load and spring constant from the formula

So from equation (1) calculation of spring constant is

k =m/∆L for 0.8 kg load the spring constant is =0.8/0.097 = 8.247 x 9.8

=80.82 N/m

GRAPH:

X (kg) Y (m)
0.35

0.3

0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

Figure : graph
 Load against change in length:

DISCUSSION:
It is very simple that when force been applied to a spring or a rubber band, it stretches. A scientist
would ask, "How is the force that you apply related to the amount of stretch?" This question was
answered by Robert Hooke, a contemporary of Newton, and the answer has come to be called Hooke's
Law.

Hooke's Law, believe it or not, is a very important and widely-used law in physics and engineering.
Its applications go far beyond springs and rubber bands.

A convenient way to apply a precisely-known force is to let the weight of a known mass be the force
used to stretch the spring. The force can be calculated from W = mg. The stretch of the spring can be
measured by noting the position of the end of the spring before and during the application of the force.

In graph indicates that there is a linear relation between load and elongation. From the graph find
out that the spring constant is 81.33 N/m .

From the equation (I) when .8 kg load on the spring ,the spring constant

k = 7.84/0.097 = 80.82 N/m

These two values of k show agreement within the limits of accuracy of the experiment
and as such are evidence that the spring used, at least over a range of loads from 0 to
2kg, obeys Hooke's Law.

APPLICATIONS OF HOOKE'S LAW’S EXPERIMENT:

The yield point of a material can be easily determined by using Hooke’s law. This is crucial for
selecting materials which will subjected to heavy loads. Examples of its application include designing
springs for shock absorbers and dampening vibrations in machines. This is one of the most important
law in engineering industry .

CONCLUSION:

Hooke's Law says that the stretch of a spring is directly proportional to the applied force.
In symbols, F = kx, where F is the force, x is the stretch, and k is a constant of
proportionality. If Hooke's Law is correct, then, the graph of force versus stretch will be a
straight line.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bueche, F. J., Introduction to Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Third Edition,
McGraw-Hill, N.Y. (1980).
Wilchinsky, Z., "Theoretical Treatment of Hooke's Law," Am. J. Phys. 7, 134 (1939).
Sears, F. W., Zermansky, M. and Young, H. D.,
University Physics, 5th Edition, Addison-Wesley, N. Y. (1981), as cited in Yost, S. A.,
“The effect of spring mass on the oscillation frequency”,
http://homework.phys.utk.edu/courses/spring2002/phys221/spring.pdf.

Peckham, D., “Hooke’s Law: St. Lawrence University Physics Dept. Phys 307 Laboratory
Instructions”, Canton, N. Y. (1983), [it.stlawu.edu/~physics/InsertMadeupURLhere.html]