Let's turn it around, why do you think that the unstretched spring should matter? Does an unstretched spring exert a force?Gear2d said:Why doesn't the length of the original spring matter here? Also, how does the "-" sign affect Hook's Law here in this problem.
Hootenanny said:Let's turn it around, why do you think that the unstretched spring should matter? Does an unstretched spring exert a force?
The negative sign simply indicates that the force exerted by the spring is in the opposite direction to the compression/extension.
Yes, the force exerted by a [hookean] spring depends only on the displacement from it's natural length. The 'delta x' in Hooke's law represents the change in length of the spring, the initial and final lengths of the string are irrelevant.Gear2d said:What you are saying is that here they are looking for how much the spring was compressed by, not the final length of the spring after compression (which is 20cm?).
Hootenanny said:Yes, the force exerted by a [hookean] spring depends only on the displacement from it's natural length. The 'delta x' in Hooke's law represents the change in length of the spring, the initial and final lengths of the string are irrelevant.
Hook's Law states that the force required to extend or compress a spring is directly proportional to the distance the spring is extended or compressed. In simpler terms, it means that the more force you apply to a spring, the more it will stretch or compress.
Hook's Law is often used to describe the behavior of springs when they are compressed. When a spring is compressed, the force applied to it is proportional to the distance the spring is compressed. This means that the more you compress the spring, the more force it will exert in the opposite direction.
The units of measurement for Hook's Law are force (usually measured in Newtons) and distance (usually measured in meters). The constant of proportionality, also known as the spring constant, is measured in Newtons per meter (N/m).
The amount of compression a spring experiences is affected by several factors, including the material and thickness of the spring, the force applied to it, and the temperature. The material and thickness of the spring determine its stiffness, while the force applied and temperature can affect the spring constant.
Hook's Law is used in various real-life applications, including in springs used in car suspensions, pogo sticks, and trampolines. It is also used in medical devices, such as prosthetics and orthodontic braces, to apply consistent and controlled forces. Additionally, Hook's Law is used in the design of elastic materials, such as rubber bands and bungee cords.