Spring Constant and Temperature

[dfx]

Hi,
I'm new round here and I hope you will forgive if this has already been asked. I've tried searching extensively, but can't quite find it. I found something very similar though, which I'll include.

It is common knowledge that if you stretch a rubber band it warms up. Does this also apply to stretching or extending a spring (within the elastic limit)? If so, I read somewhere on here that temperature affects the spring constant. So would it hold true that at a stretched position the spring constant may vary - albeit very slightly? I'm doing my physics coursework and was wondering generally... might be an interesting observation to include don't you think. Feedback much appreciated, cheers.

 

[dfx]

um sorry can somebody shift this to the right section, I think it's in the wrong place?

 

[quicknote]

Hello and welcome! Your question is a great one and has actually been studied by scientists for many years. The relationship between temperature and spring constant is known as Hooke's law, which states that the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to its displacement from its equilibrium position. In other words, the more you stretch a spring, the more force it exerts.

Now, to answer your question, yes, temperature can affect the spring constant. This is because the atoms in the spring are constantly vibrating due to their thermal energy. When the temperature increases, the atoms vibrate more vigorously, causing the spring to expand and become less stiff. This means that at higher temperatures, the spring constant will decrease slightly, causing the spring to exert less force for the same amount of displacement.

This phenomenon is known as thermal expansion and is observed in many materials, not just springs. In fact, it is important to consider the effects of temperature on materials in many scientific and engineering applications.

In your physics coursework, it would definitely be interesting to include observations about the relationship between temperature and spring constant. Just make sure to keep in mind that this effect is usually very small and may not be noticeable in everyday situations. Good luck with your coursework and keep asking great questions!