Force and Extension Experiment

Results – Graphs

Evaluation

There are a few things that could have varied during the course of the experiment. Using different springs might have affected the limit of proportionality, which is why I performed the experiment four times, with two different springs. My results were limited by the degree of accuracy, as I was measuring with a meter stick. Not looking at the meter stick at eye level when measuring could also have affected the results I received. Another factor that might have had an effect on the results was the fact that the springs bounced, so again, the results I have are only as accurate as I perceived them to be.

Conclusion

From my results, it is clear that load and extension have a positive correlation. This means that as load increases, extension does as well. The points I plotted on the graphs form, more or less, a straight line, which indicates direct proportionality between load and extension. Therefore, the results agree with Hooke’s Law, as the law states that the extension of a spring is directly proportional to the stretching force.