Question

1. (a) a student is provided with five 20 g masses, a meter rule, a spring with a pointer, a stand, a boss and a clamp.

(i) in the space provided, sketch a labelled diagram of the set up that may be used in order to verify hooke’s law using these apparatus.
(3 marks)

Explanation:

Step1: Identify Apparatus Placement

• Stand and Boss Clamp: The stand is vertical, and the boss clamp is attached near the top to hold the spring.
• Spring and Pointer: The spring hangs from the boss clamp, with a pointer (e.g., a small flag or indicator) attached to the spring’s lower end.
• Meter Rule: Positioned vertically behind the spring, with the zero mark near the spring’s initial (unloaded) position to measure extension.
• Masses: Five 20 g masses (total \( m = 5 \times 20 \, \text{g} = 100 \, \text{g} = 0.1 \, \text{kg} \)) are added one by one to the spring’s lower end.

Step2: Sketch the Labelled Diagram

1. Title: “Apparatus to Verify Hooke’s Law”
2. Labels:

• Stand (vertical support)
• Boss Clamp (holds spring)
• Spring (suspended from clamp)
• Pointer (attached to spring, aligns with meter rule)
• Meter Rule (vertical scale, measures spring length/extension)
• 20 g Masses (hanging from spring, one at a time)

Step3: Describe Setup Logic

• Initial Measurement: Measure the spring’s natural length (\( L_0 \)) with no mass.
• Add Masses: Add one 20 g mass (force \( F = mg \), \( g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2 \)) at a time, measuring the new length (\( L \)) each time.
• Calculate Extension: \( e = L - L_0 \). Plot \( F \) (y-axis) vs. \( e \) (x-axis); a straight line through the origin confirms Hooke’s Law (\( F = ke \)).

Answer:

A labelled diagram for verifying Hooke’s Law would include:

• A vertical stand with a boss clamp holding a spring (top end).
• A pointer attached to the spring’s lower end, aligned with a meter rule (vertical scale) behind the spring.
• Five 20 g masses hanging from the spring (one at a time).

Key labels: Stand, Boss Clamp, Spring, Pointer, Meter Rule, 20 g Masses.

(Note: The diagram is a sketch with these components, showing the spring’s extension as masses are added. The setup allows measuring force \( F = mg \) and extension \( e \) to test \( F \propto e \).)