Answer:
To investigate the relationship between how far the spring is stretched and how much elastic potential energy is stored in the system, we can conduct the following experiment:
Materials:
Spring
Meter stick
Weights of different masses
Stopwatch
Triple beam balance
Retort stand
Clamp
Procedure:
Set up a retort stand and attach a clamp to it.
Attach the spring to the clamp.
Place a meter stick vertically next to the spring to measure the distance it is stretched.
Measure and record the natural length of the spring (when no weight is attached).
Add a known mass to the end of the spring and record the new length of the spring.
Calculate the difference between the stretched length and the natural length of the spring.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 for different masses.
Record the time taken for the spring to stretch when the mass is added.
Calculate the elastic potential energy stored in the spring for each mass added, using the formula:
Elastic potential energy = 1/2 x k x (distance stretched)^2
where k is the spring constant of the spring.
Plot a graph of the elastic potential energy stored against the distance stretched for each mass added.
Analyze the relationship between the distance stretched and the elastic potential energy stored.
By measuring the distance stretched and the time taken for the spring to stretch, we can calculate the velocity of the mass and use this to determine the elastic potential energy stored in the spring. By repeating this process for different masses and plotting a graph, we can determine if there is a linear relationship between the distance stretched and the elastic potential energy stored. This investigation will help to better understand the concept of elasticity and its relationship to potential energy.