PASCO
 
MAIN PROCEDURE
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experiment:  Windows (.zip file)  |  Macintosh (.sit file)
In this experiment, students will develop a relationship between the force and displacement of a spring.
 
 
      View the Experimental setup.
    1. If your know the mass of an object, how do you find the force due to gravity? For example: What is the force due to gravity of a 10. g object?
    2. How do you convert from centimeters to meters? For example: What is 2.50 centimeters in meters?
    1. Place 3 to 4 masses on the hanger such that the total displacement of the ring is not greater than 10 cm but not less than 2 cm. Enter this total mass (masses and hanger) and the corresponding displacement in the Data Table 1 below.
    2. Remove one mass. Enter the new total mass and the corresponding displacement.
    3. Repeat the previous step until all masses have been removed.
    4. Repeat steps 1-3 for a different spring. Enter these values into Data Table 2.

      Data Table 1:
      # of masses
      Displacement (cm)
      Total Mass (g)
      4
      		    
      3
      		    
      2
      		    
      1
      		    

      Data Table 2:
      # of masses
      Displacement (cm)
      Total Mass (g)
      4
      		    
      3
      		    
      2
      		    
      1
      		    
    1. Convert the value of displacement from centimeters to meters and enter them into the Analysis Tables 1 and 2 below.
    2. Find the force due to gravity of the masses from your Data Table and enter them into the Analysis Tables 1 and 2 below.

      Analysis Table 1:
      Displacement (m)
      Force (N)
         
         
         
         

      Analysis Table 2:
      Displacement (m)
      Force (N)
         
         
         
         

    3. Enter the values from Analysis Tables 1 and 2 into DataStudio.
    DataStudio
    1. In general, what pattern do you notice between the force due to gravity of the masses and the displacement of the spring?
    2. Starting with y=mx+b, write an equation that represents the relationship between force and displacement. Don't forget to include units on all numbers!
    3. What is the physical meaning of the slope for the force-displacement graph? (Hint: Look at the units!)
    4. What is the physical meaning of the vertical intercept for the force-displacement graph?
    5. Using this equation, what would be the force required to stretch the spring 10 cm?
    6. What would be the displacement of a 100 g mass?