All Flashcards
What is the effect of stretching a spring?
The spring exerts a restoring force inwards, pulling back towards its equilibrium position.
What is the effect of compressing a spring?
The spring exerts a restoring force outwards, pushing back towards its equilibrium position.
What happens to the equivalent spring constant when more springs are added in parallel?
The equivalent spring constant increases, making the system stiffer.
What happens to the equivalent spring constant when more springs are added in series?
The equivalent spring constant decreases, making the system more compliant.
What is the effect of the negative sign in Hooke's Law?
The spring force always opposes the displacement.
What is a restoring force?
A force that acts to bring an object back to its equilibrium position.
Define the spring constant (k).
A measure of a spring's stiffness; higher k means a stiffer spring. Measured in N/m.
What is the equilibrium position of a spring?
The spring's natural resting position when no external forces are acting on it; net force is zero.
Define Δx in the context of spring forces.
Δx is the change in the spring's length from its relaxed (equilibrium) length, measured in meters.
What is Hooke's Law?
The relationship between the force exerted by an ideal spring and its change in length: F = -kΔx.
What is the difference between ideal and non-ideal springs?
Ideal springs have negligible mass and perfectly obey Hooke's Law. Non-ideal springs have mass and may not perfectly obey Hooke's Law.
Compare springs in series and springs in parallel regarding their stiffness.
Springs in series are more compliant (less stiff). Springs in parallel are stiffer.
How does displacement relate to force in springs arranged in series versus parallel?
In series, total displacement is the sum of individual displacements. In parallel, the total force is the sum of individual forces.