Phys Sci - 12/1,2,3,4 - Hooke's Law

This is Robert Hooke, a 18th century scientist. He was a real jerk (more on that next semester). He was also a really good and important scientist. Today, we will discover "Hooke's Law" that lets us identify how a spring works.

Before we go any further, let's think about this question: "How does an inertial balance let an astronaut know if he has gained weight?" And, "what physical science concept (word) is this based on?"

Springs have a very specific 'stretchiness' that is constant, called k. In other words, one spring will stretch in very predicatable ways based on the amount of mass hung from it. Today, you will use two methods to determine the k value of three springs.

TERMS:

Displacement - how much did something move from where it started??

Oscillation - when something 'wiggles.' In other words, it undergoes a period. The inertial balance lab actually studied oscillations. A pendulum, like Newton's Pendulum, used oscillations.