Question

In three to five sentences, explain how you would conduct an experiment to investigate the relationship between the applied force and the displacement of the spring, and describe its expected results.

Answer 1

To investigate the relationship between the applied force and displacement of the spring, you can perform the following experiment:

1. Set up a spring vertically and attach a mass hanger to its end. Measure the initial displacement of the spring without any additional weight.
2. Add a known weight to the hanger and measure the new displacement of the spring. Record the applied force (weight) and the corresponding displacement.
3. Repeat step 2 for different weights, ensuring to measure the displacement each time.
4. Plot a graph with the applied force (weight) on the x-axis and the displacement on the y-axis. The relationship between them will help determine if it follows Hooke's Law.
5. If the graph shows a directly proportional relationship (a straight line passing through the origin), it indicates that the displacement of the spring is directly proportional to the applied force. This would support Hooke's Law.

The expected results indicate that as the applied force (weight) increases, the displacement of the spring will also increase. The graph should show a straight line passing through the origin, indicating a linear relationship between the applied force and the displacement.