5470: Hooke's Law & Springs

Front

What is Hooke's Law?

Back

Hooke's Law states that the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to its elongation or compression, as long as the elastic limit is not exceeded. It can be expressed as F = -kx, where F is the force, k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement from the equilibrium position.

Front

What happens to the spring potential energy when a spring is compressed or stretched?

Back

The spring potential energy increases as the spring is compressed or stretched. It is given by the formula PE = 1/2 kx², where PE is the potential energy, k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement.

Front

What is the spring constant (k)?

Back

The spring constant (k) is a measure of a spring's stiffness. A higher spring constant indicates a stiffer spring that requires more force to stretch or compress.

Front

What occurs when the spring is cut?

Back

When the spring is cut, it converts its stored spring potential energy into kinetic energy.

Front

What is the relationship between force and elongation in a spring?

Back

According to Hooke's Law, the force applied to a spring is directly proportional to its elongation, as long as the spring is within its elastic limit.

Front

What does it mean when Hooke's Law ceases to be valid?

Back

Hooke's Law ceases to be valid when the spring is stretched beyond its elastic limit, resulting in permanent deformation.

Front

How can you compare the stiffness of two springs?

Back

You can compare the stiffness of two springs by looking at their spring constants (k). A spring with a larger spring constant is stiffer.

Front

At what point is the kinetic energy of a spring system maximized?

Back

The kinetic energy of the system is maximized at the equilibrium position of the spring, where the spring is neither compressed nor stretched.

Front

What happens to the spring potential energy as a block is pulled from point O to point B?

Back

As the block is pulled from point O to point B, the spring potential energy of the system increases.

Front

What is the formula for calculating spring potential energy?

Back

The formula for calculating spring potential energy is PE = 1/2 kx², where PE is the potential energy, k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement.