Introduction

If a spring is not compressed or stretched too much, it should obey Hooke’s Law. According to this Law, if an additional force, F_y, acts on the spring then the change in the spring length, y, will be directly proportional to that force. The spring constant, k, for a Hooke’s Law spring is defined as the constant of proportionality that relates the two variables, so that F_y = ky. We have created a digital movie that shows a spring clamped to a rod so its top end cannot move. The movie actually consists of a series of still “photos” showing the spring stretching as more and more mass is added to its bottom end.

Objectives