Question

If a fish is attached to a vertical spring and slowly lowered to its equilibrium position, it is found to stretch the spring by an amount d. What can be concluded about the spring constant of the spring?

1) The spring constant is equal to d
2) The spring constant is greater than d
3) The spring constant is less than d
4) The spring constant cannot be determined without additional information

Answer 1

The spring constant of the spring is equal to the displacement (d) of the spring.

Step-by-step explanation:

The stretching of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied to it. This relationship is described by Hooke's law, which states that the force constant (k) of a spring is equal to the applied force (F) divided by the displacement (d) of the spring:

k = F / d

In the given scenario, the fish stretches the spring by an amount d when it is lowered to its equilibrium position. From this, we can conclude that the spring constant of the spring is equal to the displacement (d). Therefore, the correct answer is 1) The spring constant is equal to d.