A B N SEAL COLLEGE

COOCH BEHAR

LABORATORY INSTRUCTION MANUAL

SEMESTER –I
PAPER - C-II (MECHANICS)

SPRING CONSTANT

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
 Determination of Spring Constant
Apparatus: A stand contains a scale vertically. A spring is attached at the top of the scale in such a way
that the spring can be extended along
spring. The spring contains a pan on
which weight can be added. The bottom
of the spring also contains a pointer,
which measures the extension of the
spring. If weight is added to the pan the
spring extends and the extension can be
measured from poison of the pointer on
the scale.
Accessories: load, stopwatch.
Theory: When a spring is extended by an
external force then the spring develops
an equal and opposite force to the
external force which try to prevent the
extension of the force. This force is
proportional to the extension i.e., Fx
where x is the extension of the spring and F the force.
So, F = Kx where k is called the spring constant
Hence,
K=F/x = mg/x (1)
where m is the mass on the pan (given mass + mass of empty pan).
If the spring executes a simple harmonic motion, then the time period T can be expressed as

m
T  2 (2)
K
x
Putting (1) in (2) we have T  2
g
4 2 x
Or, g 2 (3)
T
 Procedure:
(i) Note the reading when there is no load on the pan.
(ii) Increase load gradually and note the readings.
(iii) Extend the spring a little further and measure time for (say) 20 oscillations to calculate the
time period.
(iv) Go adding load and measuring the time period for different load
Experimental results:
Load of the empty pan (m1) =……….gm (supplied)
Load given on the pan is m2
Total load on the pan (m)=m1+m2
Initial reading of the pointer with out applying load=…
Reading of Extension No of Time of Time T2 (sec2)
No. of Load (m) the pointer (x) of the oscillation oscillation period (T)
Obs. [m1+m2] (cm) spring (cm) (sec) of
(gm) oscillation
(Sec)
(B) (C) (G)
(A) (D) (E) (F)
1. …. …. …. …. …. …. ….
…. …. …. ….
2. …. …. ….
…. …. …. ….
3. …. …. …. …. …. …. ….
Etc. …. …. …… … … …. ….

A plot of column (G) vs column (C) i.e., T2 vs. x will give the value of g, the gravitational acceleration.
From the plot of x vs m and taking the value of g as 980cm/sec2 one can find out K the spring constant
(dyne/cm)

Q (x,T2)
x T2
(cm) (sec2)

P (m,x)

m (gm) x(cm)
 Deriving the Shear Modulus S From the Spring Constant k

When a mass is hung from the end of a spring it

produces a torque or couple which has the effect of
producing a uniform twist along its entire length. The
stretching of the spring is due to this twisting of the
spring wire along its entire length. There is a bit of
stretching of the spring due to vertical shear forces
but this is small and may be neglected compared to
the stretching due to twisting.

Consider an element of the wire at any point on the

spring. All elements are equivalent and in the diagram
we consider an element at the bottom left of the
spring (this element is perpendicular to the page).
When an element of spring is twisted through an
angle dθ , the spring which has a radius R is stretched by an amount dx where dx = R d θ as
shown in the diagram. Note that the angle dθ in the diagram is exaggerated for clarity.
x total θtotal

Integrating gives ∫ dx = ∫ Rd θ
0 0

or x total = R θtotal

Since this expression is true for any stretch x, we may drop the subscripts and write
x = Rθ

The energy stored in the spring can be written either in linear terms using the spring constant k
S π r4
or in angular terms using the torsion constant κ given by the formula κ = where S is the
2l
shear modulus of the material that makes up the spring, r is the radius of the wire and l is the
length of the wire that coils to form the spring. Note that κ is the torsion constant of the wire that
coils to form the spring (and not the torsion constant of the spring as a whole.) Using the two
expressions for energy stored in the spring gives
2kx = 2 κθ
1 2 1 2

 S π r4   x 
2

k x =  2
  
 2 l R
S π r4
k =
2 l R2
S π r4
k =
2 (2 π R N ) R 2
where N is the number of turns in the coil. This gives the shear modulus in terms of the spring
4N R 3
constant as S =k
r4