Core Practical: Investigating Force & Extension

Core practical 2: investigating force & extension Your notes

Experiment 1: investigating force and extension for springs and rubber bands
The aim of this experiment is to investigate the relationship between force and extension for a spring
and a rubber band:
Variables
Independent variable = Force, F
Dependent variable = Extension, e
Equipment
Equipment list

Equipment Purpose

To apply an upward force to the spring and rubber

Clamp and stand
band

Ruler To measure original length and extension

Spring and rubber band To measure the extension of

To apply a downward force to the spring and rubber

5 × 100 g masses
band
100 g mass hanger To hold additional masses
Pointer (also called a ducial marker) To accurately read the extension from the ruler
To secure the clamp stand to the bench so that the
G-clamp
equipment does not fall over

Resolution of measuring equipment:

Ruler = 1 mm
Method
 Your notes

Example set-up of the equipment used to investigate force and extension for a spring
. Align the marker to a value on the ruler with no mass added, and record this initial length of the spring /
rubber band
. Add the 100 g mass hanger onto the spring / rubber band
. Record the mass (in kg) and position (in cm) from the ruler now that the spring / rubber band has
extended
. Add another 100 g to the mass hanger
. Record the new mass and position from the ruler now that the spring / rubber band has extended
further
. Repeat this process until all masses have been added
. Remove the masses and repeat the entire process again, until it has been carried out a total of three
times, and an average length (for each mass attached) is calculated
Example results table
 Experiment 2: investigating force and extension for metal wires
The aim of this experiment is to investigate the relationship between force and extension for a metal
wire
Variables
Independent variable = Force, F
Dependent variable = Extension, e
Equipment
Equipment list

Equipment Purpose

Ruler To measure original length and extension

Spring, rubber band and metal wire To measure the extension of

5 × 100 g masses To apply a downward force to the wire

100 g mass hanger To hold additional masses
Tape (to use as a marker on the wire) To accurately read the extension from the ruler
 To allow the masses to hang vertically from the metal
Bench pulley
wire
G-clamp & wooden blocks To apply an opposing force on the end of the wire

Resolution of measuring equipment:

Ruler = 1 mm
Method

Example set-up of equipment to investigate the force and extension for a metal wire
. Set up the apparatus so the wire is taut with no masses added
. Measure the original length of the wire using a metre ruler and mark a reference point with tape
preferably near the beginning of the scale eg. at 1 cm
. Record the initial length of the wire to the marker
. Add a 100 g mass onto the mass hanger
. Read and record the new reading of the tape marker from the meter ruler now that the metal wire has
extended
. Repeat this process until all masses have been added
. Remove the masses and repeat the entire process again, until it has been carried out a total of three
times, and an average length (for each mass attached) is calculated
Example results table
 Your notes

Analysis of results
The force, F added to the spring / rubber band / metal wire is the weight of the mass
The weight is calculated using the equation:
W=m×g
Where:
W = weight in newtons (N)
m = mass in kilograms (kg)
g = gravitational eld strength on Earth in newtons per kg (N/kg)
Therefore, multiply each mass by gravitational eld strength, g, to calculate the force, F
The force can be calculated by multiplying the mass (in kg) by 10 N/kg
The extension e of the spring / rubber band is calculated using the equation:
e = average length – original length
The nal length is the length of the spring / rubber band recorded from the ruler after the masses were
added
The extension e of the metal wire is calculated using the equation:
e = new marker reading − reference point reading
The original length is the length of the spring / rubber band / metal wire when there were no masses
attached
 . Plot a graph of the force against extension for the spring / rubber band / metal wire
. Draw a line or curve of best t
. If the graph has a linear region (is a straight line), then the force is proportional to the extension
Evaluating the experiments
Systematic errors
Make sure the measurements on the ruler are taken at eye level to avoid parallax error
Random errors
The accuracy of such an experiment is improved with the use of a pointer (a ducial marker)
Wait a few seconds for the spring / rubber band / metal wire to fully extend when a mass is added,
before taking the reading for its new length
Make sure to check whether the spring has not gone past its limit of proportionality otherwise, it has
been stretched too far
Safety considerations
Wear goggles during this experiment in case the spring, rubber band or wire snaps
Stand up while carrying out the experiment, making sure no feet are directly under the masses
Place a mat or a soft material below the masses to prevent any damage in case they fall
Use a G clamp to secure the clamp stand to the desk so that the clamp and masses do not fall over
As well as this, place each mass carefully on the hanger and do not pull the spring so hard that it
breaks or pulls the apparatus over

Exam Tip
Remember - for the spring and rubber band, the extension measures how much the object has
stretched by and can be found by subtracting the original length from each of the subsequent
lengths.
For the metal wire, each extension is measured by nding the di erence between the new marker
point and the original reference point.
A common mistake is to calculate the increase in length by each time instead of the total extension. If
each of your extensions is roughly the same, then you might have made this mistake!
 Hooke's Law
Hooke's law
The relationship between the extension of an elastic object and the applied force is de ned by
Hooke's Law
Hooke's Law states that:
The extension of an elastic object is directly proportional to the force applied, up to the limit of
proportionality

Directly proportional means that as the force is increased, the extension increases
If the force is doubled, then the extension will double
If the force is halved, then the extension will also halve
The limit of proportionality is the point beyond which the relationship between force and extension is
no longer directly proportional
This limit varies according to the material
Hooke's Law states that a force applied to a spring will cause it to extend by an amount proportional to
the force
The force-extension graph
Hooke’s law is the linear relationship between force and extension
This is represented by a straight line on a force-extension graph
Any material beyond its limit of proportionality will have a non-linear relationship between force and
extension

Hooke's Law is associated with the linear region of a force-extension graph. Beyond the limit of
proportionality, Hooke's law no longer applies
Elastic Behaviour
Elastic behaviour is the ability of a material to recover its original shape after the forcesYour notesthe
causing
deformation have been removed
Deformation is a change in the original shape of an object
Deformation can be either:
elastic
inelastic
Elastic Deformation
Elastic deformation is when the object does return to its original shape after the deforming forces are
removed
Elastic deformation results in a change in the object's shape that is not permanent
Examples of materials that undergo elastic deformation are:
Rubber bands
Fabrics
Steel springs
Inelastic Deformation
Inelastic deformation is when the object does not return to its original shape after the deforming
forces are removed
Inelastic deformation results in a change in the object's shape that is permanent
Examples of materials that undergo inelastic deformation are:
Plastic
Clay
Glass
Elastic behaviour of a spring
 Your notes

The spring on the right has undergone inelastic deformation, it's shape has been permanently deformed