Elastic Potential Energy & Hooke's Law

Front

What is Elastic Potential Energy?

Back

Elastic Potential Energy is the energy stored in elastic materials as the result of their stretching or compressing.

Front

State Hooke's Law.

Back

Hooke's Law states that the force needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance is proportional to that distance.

Front

What is the formula for Hooke's Law?

Back

F = kx, where F is the force applied, k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement from the equilibrium position.

Front

What is the unit of spring constant (k)?

Back

The unit of spring constant (k) is Newtons per meter (N/m).

Front

How do you calculate the spring constant (k) using Hooke's Law?

Back

k = F/x, where F is the force applied and x is the displacement.

Front

What is the formula for calculating Elastic Potential Energy (EPE)?

Back

EPE = 1/2 k x^2, where k is the spring constant and x is the displacement.

Front

If a spring has a spring constant of 200 N/m and is stretched by 0.5 m, what is the Elastic Potential Energy stored in the spring?

Back

EPE = 1/2 * 200 N/m * (0.5 m)^2 = 25 J.

Front

What happens to the Elastic Potential Energy if the displacement is doubled?

Back

The Elastic Potential Energy increases by a factor of four, since EPE is proportional to the square of the displacement.

Front

What is the relationship between force and displacement in a spring according to Hooke's Law?

Back

The relationship is linear; as the force increases, the displacement increases proportionally.

Front

What is the significance of the spring constant (k)?

Back

The spring constant (k) indicates the stiffness of the spring; a higher k value means a stiffer spring.