P201 Menu

Exploratories

Stretch And Relax

Problem:

What kind of relationship exists between the force applied to several stretchable objects (such as a spring, a rubber band and a piece of elastic) and the amount of stretch?

Materials:

Assorted springs, a ring stand with a support rod to hold objects, tape, meter stick, assorted masses, large paper clip if needed

Procedure:

1. Hang a spring from a support rod.
2. Slowly increase the amount of mass that you attach to the spring.
3. Decrease the amount of mass that hangs on the spring.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for a rubber band and a piece of elastic.

Summing Up:

1. When you added mass, what happens to the spring's length?
2. When you removed mass, what happened to the spring's length?
3. What term to we apply to a material that alters its length when a force is applied to it?
4. Do all materials stretch the same amount for an applied force?
5. From your observations, what characteristic varies from substance to substance?