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.
To investigate the relationship between applied force and the displacement of a spring, I would set up a simple experiment using Hooke's Law apparatus, which typically consists of a vertically fixed spring with a hook at the bottom. I would start by measuring the natural length of the spring without any loads. Then, I would incrementally add known masses to the hook and measure the displacement of the spring from its natural length for each mass, ensuring that the spring does not exceed its elastic limit. The applied force on the spring can be calculated by multiplying each mass by the acceleration due to gravity (F = m * g). Throughout this procedure, I would record the force applied and the corresponding displacement.
The expected results would show that the relationship between the applied force and the displacement of the spring is linear, as long as the elastic limit of the spring is not exceeded. This relationship is described by Hooke's Law, which states that the force needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance scales linearly with respect to that distance (F = k * x), where k is the spring constant and x is the displacement. A plot of the applied force against the displacement should yield a straight line with the slope equal to the spring constant (k).