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Crusaderking1
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Confused on receiving just one K value for elongation and oscillation
Ok. For lab, I had to place 5 different masses on a spring and calculate its initial and final position. I did this with a small, medium and large spring.
Then after I gathered my values, I made a graph, and fit a trendline through it.
The book says to use the slope and Hooke's law to find the K constant. However, when I use the slope and equation, I get very slightly different K constant values for the different masses on the same string. (like 4.311 for 0.05kg, and 4.317 for 0.06 kg).
How am I suppose to get just one K constant using the slope and equation? The book probably would have told me to average the K values if I was meant to get more than one.
Same scenario applies for the oscillation of the spring.
What should I do? Thanks.
Homework Statement
Ok. For lab, I had to place 5 different masses on a spring and calculate its initial and final position. I did this with a small, medium and large spring.
Then after I gathered my values, I made a graph, and fit a trendline through it.
The book says to use the slope and Hooke's law to find the K constant. However, when I use the slope and equation, I get very slightly different K constant values for the different masses on the same string. (like 4.311 for 0.05kg, and 4.317 for 0.06 kg).
How am I suppose to get just one K constant using the slope and equation? The book probably would have told me to average the K values if I was meant to get more than one.
Same scenario applies for the oscillation of the spring.
What should I do? Thanks.
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
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