Does Spring Length Affect Its Extension?

[blade_chong]

Consider a sping of length, L m and spring constant K N/m. If a force of F N is applied, we will expect the spring to be extended by x m. So The variables(F,K,x) can be combined to formed an equation, known as the hookes law i.e F=Kx. Does the length of spring have any effect on the extension?
Let say if i have the same spring, but now of length 2L, will the extension of the spring caused by the same force, F still remains at x?
Please help me in clarifying this concept =( thx

 

[Doc Al]

You can't have the same spring with a different length. Note that the spring constant is a property of the entire spring, not just the material.

Perhaps you are thinking of what happens when you attach two springs in series? Will the same force produce the same stretch as with a single spring? What is the spring constant of the two-spring system? (Try and figure out what happens, given what you know about how a single spring works.)

 

[astrokreng]

I can confirm that the length of the spring does indeed have an effect on the extension caused by a given force. According to Hooke's law, the extension of a spring is directly proportional to the applied force and inversely proportional to the spring constant. This means that if the length of the spring is increased, the extension caused by the same force will also increase. This is because a longer spring will have a larger area to stretch, resulting in a greater extension.

To understand this concept better, let's take an example. If we have a spring with a length of 1 meter and a spring constant of 10 N/m, and we apply a force of 5 N to it, the extension will be 0.5 meters (F=Kx, 5=10*0.5). Now, if we use a spring with a length of 2 meters and the same spring constant, the extension caused by the same 5 N force will be 1 meter (F=Kx, 5=10*1). This shows that the length of the spring does have an effect on the extension caused by a given force.

In summary, the length of the spring is an important factor in determining the extension caused by a given force. The longer the spring, the greater the extension caused by the same force, and vice versa. This is a fundamental concept in physics and is widely used in various applications such as in the design of springs for different purposes. I hope this clarifies the concept for you.