Lebanese International University

School of Arts and Sciences

Department of Physics

PHYS250L— Thermodynamics and waves lab-

Section ID:"A"

Experiment Title:Hook’s law

Report No:"1"

Student Name: Inas Sati Student ID:21830264

Lab Instructor:Sami Hammoud

Date:4/3/2019
Objective:

To verify hooke’s law

To calculate spring constant

Theory:

History:

Robert Hooke was an English natural philosopher, architect and polymath.

His adult life comprised three distinct periods: as a scientific

inquirer lacking money; achieving great wealth and standing
through his reputation for hard work and scrupulous honesty
following the great fire of 1666, and eventually becoming ill and
party to jealous intellectual disputes (the last may have contributed
to his relative historical obscurity). (Wikipedia, n.d.)

Definition:

The tension force is defined as the force that is transmitted through Figure 1 Robert Hooke
a rope, string or wire when pulled by forces acting from opposite
sides.

spring-constant A characteristic of a spring which is defined as the ratio of

the force affecting the spring to the displacement caused by it. (Chegg, n.d.)

State law:

Hooke's law states that, for relatively small deformations of an object, the
displacement or size of the deformation is directly proportional to the deforming
force or load

Prove Formula:

𝑇 = 𝑚𝑔
𝑇 = 𝐾∆𝑙

𝑚𝑔 = 𝐾∆𝑙

𝑘
𝑚= ∆𝑙
𝑔

Prove formula for Parallel connection

When two massless springs following Hooke's Law, are connected via a thin,
vertical rod as shown in the figure below, these are said to be connected in
parallel. Spring 1 and 2 have spring constants k1 and k2 respectively. A constant
force →F is exerted on the rod so that remains perpendicular to the direction of
the force. So that the springs are extended by the same amount. Alternatively,
the direction of force could be reversed so that the springs are compressed.

This system of two parallel springs

is equivalent to a single Hookean
spring, of spring constant k. The
value of k can be found from the
formula that applies to capacitors
connected in parallel in an electrical
circuit.

K = K1 + K2

Figure 2 springs connected in parallel

Prove formula for Series connection.

When same springs are connected as shown in the figure below, these are said
to be connected in series. A constant
force →F is applied on spring 2. So that the
springs are extended and the total extension of
the combination is the sum of elongation of each
spring. Alternatively, the direction of force could
be reversed so that the springs are compressed.

This system of two springs in series is equivalent

to a single spring, of spring constant k. The value
of k can be found from the formula that applies to
capacitors connected in series in an electrical
circuit.
For spring 1, from Hooke's Law
Figure 3 springs connected in series
F=k1x1
where x1 is the deformation of spring.
Similarly if x2 is the deformation of spring 2 we have

F=k2x2

Total deformation of the system

𝐹 𝐹
𝑥1 + 𝑥2 = +
𝑘 1 𝑘2
1 1
⇒ 𝑥1 + 𝑥2 = 𝐹(𝑘1 + 𝑘2)

Rewriting and comparing with Hooke's law we get

1 1
𝑘=( + )
𝑘1 𝑘2

Application:

Strings are every where. They are in pens, cars, weight balances, in trains…etc

Instruments:

Masses

2 Springs

Ruler

Stand

Setup and procedure:

Connect the first string to the stand

Start adding weight to the first string and tabulate the results
Repeat the same procedure on the 2nd string

Connect the two springs in series as shown in figure 2

Start adding mass to the two connected springs

Increase the mass and record the how much the spring
elongated

Then connect the two springs in parallel as shown in figure

1 and start adding masses gradually and tabulating the
Figure 1 – two springs
results connected in parallel
Figure 4- two springs
connected in series
Data and results:

For spring 1:

Table 1 variation of length as a function of mass of spring 1

Mass (kg) 0 0.05 0.1 ± 0.001 0.15 0.2

Length (m) 0 0.015 0.035 ± 0.001 0.045 0.065

0.25

0.2 y = 3.1008x + 0.0008

0.15
mass (kg)

0.1

0.05

0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07
Figure 5 graph showing the variation of length of spring 1Length (m) of mass
as a function
The constant stiffness of the two springs in parallel:

𝐾
= 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒
𝑔

𝐾
= 3.1
𝑔

𝐾 = 30.38 N/Kg

Error:

𝑚𝑔
𝐾=
∆𝑙

(0.1 ± 0.001) × 9.8

𝐾=
0.035 ± 0.001

𝐾 = 28

∆𝐴 2 ∆𝐵 2
√
∆𝐾 = 𝐾 ( ) + ( )
𝐴 𝐵

0.001 2 0.001 2
√
∆𝐾 = 28 ( ) +( )
0.1 0.035

∆𝐾 =0.84

K = 28 ± 0.84

30.38−28
% 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100 = 8.5%
28
Spring 2:

Mass (kg) 0 0.05 0.1±0.001 0.15 0.2

Length (m) 0 0.015 0.03±0.001 0.045 0.06

Figure 6 table showing the variation of length of spring 2 as a function of mass

Mass (kg)
0.25

0.2 y = 3.2725x + 0.0035

0.15
mass (kg)

0.1

0.05

0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07
length (m)

Figure 7 graph showing the variation of length of spring 2 as a function of mass

𝐾
= 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒
𝑔

𝐾
= 3.27
𝑔

𝐾 = 32.046

Error:

𝑚𝑔
𝐾=
∆𝑙
 (0.1 ± 0.001) × 9.8
𝐾=
0.03 ± 0.001

𝐾 = 32.66

∆𝐴 2 ∆𝐵 2
√
∆𝐾 = 𝐾 ( ) + ( )
𝐴 𝐵

0.001 2 0.001 2
∆𝐾 = 32.66√( ) +( )
0.1 0.03

∆𝐾 = 1.13

K = 32.66 ± 1.13

32.66−32.046
% 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100 =1.87%
32.66

The two Springs is series:

Mass 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2

Length 0 0.025 0.06 0.0925 0.12

Figure 8 table showing the variation of length of springs 1 & 2 connected in series as a function of mass

mass
0.25 𝐾
= 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒
𝑔
0.2 y = 1.6218x + 0.0035
𝐾
= 1.62
0.15 𝑔
mass (kg)

0.1 𝐾 = 15.876

0.05

Error:
0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14
length (m)

Figure 9 graph showing the variation of length of springs 1 & 2 connected in series as a function of mass
 𝑚𝑔
𝐾=
∆𝑙

(0.1 ± 0.001) × 9.8

𝐾=
0.03 ± 0.001

𝐾 = 32.66

∆𝐴 2 ∆𝐵 2
∆𝐾 = 𝐾 √( ) + ( )
𝐴 𝐵

0.001 2 0.001 2
∆𝐾 = 32.66√( ) +( )
0.1 0.03

∆𝐾 = 1.13

K = 32.66 ± 1.13

32.66−32.046
% 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100 =1.87%
32.66

In parallel

Mass (kg) 0 0.05 0.1 0.15±0.001 0.2

Length (m) 0 0.01 0.0175 0.035±0.001 0.05

Figure 10 table showing the variation of length of springs 1 & 2 connected in parallel as a function of mass

Y-Values
0.25
𝐾
= 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒
0.2 𝑔 y = 3.9063x + 0.0121
mass (kg)

0.15 𝐾
= 3.9
𝑔
0.1

0.05 𝐾 = 38.22

0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06
length (m)

Figure 11 graph showing the variation of length of springs 1 & 2 connected in parallel as a function of mass
Error:

𝑚𝑔
𝐾=
∆𝑙

(0.15 ± 0.001) × 9.8

𝐾=
0.035 ± 0.001

𝐾 = 42

∆𝐴 2 ∆𝐵 2
√
∆𝐾 = 𝐾 ( ) + ( )
𝐴 𝐵

0.001 2 0.001 2
√
∆𝐾 = 42 ( ) +( )
0.15 0.035

∆𝐾 = 1.23

K = 42 ± 1.23

42−38.22
% 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100 = 9%
42

Conclusion:

Hooke’s law is verified.

Hooke's Law says that the stretch of a spring is directly proportional to the applied force.
In symbols, F = kx, where F is the force, x is the stretch, and k is a constant of
proportionality.

The stiffness K in series is bigger than that in parallel

References
1 byjus. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://byjus.com/physics/tension-force/

2 Chegg. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.chegg.com/homework-

help/definitions/spring-constant-2

3 Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hooke