Elastic Potential Energy (springs)

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Fx = kx where k is the spring constant and x is the distance stretched

If two springs were attached from head to tail, and a mass hung linearly, how would the total spring constant compare with the individual ones?

thanks

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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 1,603 • Replies: 12

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Thats elastic fantatic...

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Well, what do you think? If the mass has to pull two strings instead of one, is that easier for it or harder?

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you got me wondering Thomas I was just trying to be glib.

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Sorry Algis, I was talking to Gouki. His question sounds a bit as if he's asking us to do his homework. I don't want to do that, but I also don't want to be rude in case this is not what he is doing. So I thought a little Socratic dialogue might be a good compromise.

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Meaning ask enough questions and you will derive at the answer ?

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Gouki,

if you attach 2 springs then you can think of this as two different forces right? so the total force will be twice as much...or you can think of it as being 1 spring with a value of k that is twice as much..

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Algis.Kemezys wrote:

Meaning ask enough questions and you will derive at the answer ?

That's the idea, yes.

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It gets really cool if the two springs don't have the same constant.

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Thanks Thomas...I too am a Thomas. Why are you referring to Socrates ?

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Algis.Kemezys wrote:

Thanks Thomas...I too am a Thomas. Why are you referring to Socrates ?

I believe Thomas' reference was more to the Socratic Method than to Socrates the individual; the implication being the answer to a question or problem might be derived through a concatenating examination and analysis of potential solutions, narrowing the field as hypothesis after hypothesis is demonstrated to be flawed, leaving at the end the answer most in accordance with the principle of Occam's Razor as applied to the question upon which the discussion was predicated.

Damn ... that was fun to type Laughing

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timberlandko wrote:

Algis.Kemezys wrote:
Thanks Thomas...I too am a Thomas. Why are you referring to Socrates ?

I believe Thomas' reference was more to the Socratic Method than to Socrates the individual; the implication being the answer to a question or problem might be derived through a concatenating examination and analysis of potential solutions, narrowing the field as hypothesis after hypothesis is demonstrated to be flawed, leaving at the end the answer most in accordance with the principle of Occam's Razor as applied to the question upon which the discussion was predicated.

Damn ... that was fun to type

In other words, just mulitply by 2 Razz

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stuh505 wrote:

In other words, just mulitply by 2

I don't know how to demonstrate this formula for multiple springs but it's correct( my teachers taught them).

if the spring are connected together(we call they are conncected in series), we consider them as 1 spring and the equivalent spring constant of this spring(k) is calculated by :
1/k = 1/k1 + 1/k2 + ..... + 1/kn
if the springs are connected to 1 common point ( we call they are connected in parallel), the combined spring constant is :
k = k1 + k2 + .......+ kn

well, you may find that these two formula are similar to formula for multiple resistors or multiple capacitors, just accept them.

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Elastic Potential Energy (springs)

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