In a test of spring stiffness, various masses (x, in kg) are loaded onto a spring and the location of the spring-end (y, in m) is determined. The spring-end location measurements have an accuracy of .0005 m.
Robert Hooke asserted that there should be a linear relationship between x and y. A quantity called the spring constant k can be calculated from the slope (B) of this line:
k=g/B
where g is the acceleration of gravity,
g = 9.8 m/s2
X (kg) | Y (m) |
---|---|
0.04 | 2.5 × 10-3 |
0.06 | 5.6 × 10-3 |
0.11 | 1.39 × 10-2 |
0.12 | 1.57 × 10-2 |
0.13 | 1.71 × 10-2 |
0.16 | 2.16 × 10-2 |
0.21 | 2.78 × 10-2 |
0.23 | 3.31 × 10-2 |
0.24 | 3.49 × 10-2 |
0.25 | 3.70 × 10-2 |