Question

A spring has spring constant 0.3m /newton. What force is necessary to stretch the spring by 1.5 meters? Use Hooke's Law, F = kx Show all your steps. (4 points)

Answer 1

To find the force necessary to stretch a spring using Hooke's Law, we can use the formula:

\[ F = kx \]

where:
- \( F \) is the force exerted on the spring (in newtons),
- \( k \) is the spring constant (in newtons per meter),
- \( x \) is the displacement from the spring's equilibrium position (in meters).

Given:
- \( k = 0.3 \, \text{N/m} \)
- \( x = 1.5 \, \text{m} \)

Now, substitute the values into the equation:

1. Substitute \( k \) and \( x \) into the formula:
\[
F = (0.3 \, \text{N/m}) \cdot (1.5 \, \text{m})
\]

2. Perform the multiplication:
\[
F = 0.3 \times 1.5 = 0.45 \, \text{N}
\]

Therefore, the force necessary to stretch the spring by 1.5 meters is **0.45 newtons**.