Materials

Name ______________________________
Teacher ______________________________
 Hooke’s Law
Hooke’s Law
If we take a metal wire or a spring and hang it from the ceiling it will have a natural,
unstretched length of l metres. If we then attach masses to the bottom of the wire is will
begin to increase in length (stretch). The amount of length it has increased by we will call
the extension and represent by e.
If the extension increases proportionally to the force applied it follows Hooke’s Law:
The force needed to stretch a spring is directly proportional to the extension of the spring
from its natural length
So it takes twice as much force to extend a spring twice as far and half the force to
extend it half as far.
We can write this in equation form: F ∝e or F=ke
Here k is the constant that shows us how much extension in length we would get for a
given force. It is called...

The Spring Constant

The spring constant gives us an idea of the stiffness (or stretchiness)
of the material.
F
k=
If we rearrange Hooke’s Law we get: e
If we record the length of a spring, add masses to the bottom and
measure its extension we can plot a graph of force against extension.
The gradient of this graph will be equal to the spring constant.
A small force causes a large extension the spring constant will be small – very stretchy
A large force causes a small extension the spring constant will be large – not stretchy
Spring Constant is measured in Newtons per metre, N/m
Springs in Series
The combined spring constant of spring A and spring B connected in
series is given by:
1 1 1
= +
k T k A k B If A and B are identical this becomes:
1 1 1 1 2 k
= + = k T=
kT k k 
k T k  2
Since this gives us a smaller value for the spring constant, applying
the same force produces a larger extension. It is
stretchier
Springs in Parallel
The combined spring constant of spring A and spring B connected in
parallel is:
k T =k A +k B so if A and B are identical this becomes:
k T =k + k 
k T =2 k
Since this gives us a larger value for the spring constant applying the same force
produces a smaller extension. It is less stretchy

Energy Stored
We can calculate the energy stored in a stretched material by considering the work done
on it.
We defined work done as the force x distance moved in the direction of the force or
W =Fs
Work done is equal to the energy transferred, in this case transferred to the material, so:
E=Fs
 The distance moved is the extension of the material, e, making the equation: E=Fe
The force is not constant; it increases from zero to a maximum of F. The average force is
( F−0 )
given by: 2
(F −0)
E= e
If we bring these terms together we get the equation 2 which simplifies to:
E= 12 Fe
This is also equal to the area under the graph of force against extension.
We can write a second version of this equation by substituting our top equation of F=ke
into the one above.
E= 12 Fe 
E= 12 ( ke )e 
E= 12 ke 2

Hooke’s Law and Springs

1. State what is meant by elastic and plastic deformation.

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[Total 2 marks]

2. Fig. 1 shows a spring that is fixed at one end and is hanging vertically.

fixed end of spring

m ass M

Fig. 1

A mass M has been placed on the free end of the spring and this has produced an
extension of 250 mm. The weight of the mass M is 2.00 N.

Fig. 2 shows how the force F applied to the spring varies with extension  up to an
extension of  = 250 mm.
 4.0

3.0

F/N
2.0

1.0

0
0 100 200 300 400
x / mm

Fig. 2

(a) (i) Calculate the spring constant of the spring.

spring constant = ............................ unit ................ [3]

(ii) Calculate the strain energy in the spring when the extension is 250 mm.

strain energy = ............................ J [2]

(b) The mass M is pulled down a further 150 mm by a force F additional to its
weight.

(i) Determine the force F.

F = ............................ N [1]

(ii) State any assumption made.

................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................
[1]
3. (i) Sketch on the figure below a graph to show the relationship between the
tensile force F applied to a copper wire and the extension x produced.
Continue the graph to the breaking point of the wire.

x
[1]
 (ii) Label your graph to show the regions where the wire is undergoing

1 elastic deformation

2 plastic deformation.
[Total 3 marks]

4. A manufacturer of springs tests the properties of a spring by measuring the load

applied each time the extension is increased. The graph of load against extension is
shown below.

(a) State Hooke’s law.

 ........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Calculate the spring constant, k, for the spring. State an appropriate unit.

spring constant ......................................... unit ............... (3)

(c) Use the graph to find the work done in extending the spring up to point B.

work done ............................................ J (3)

(d) Beyond point A the spring undergoes plastic deformation.

Explain the meaning of the term plastic deformation.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(1)

(e) When the spring reaches an extension of 0.045 m, the load on it is gradually
reduced to zero. On the graph above sketch how the extension of the spring
will vary with load as the load is reduced to zero. (2)

(f) Without further calculation, compare the total work done by the spring when
the load is removed with the work that was done by the load in producing the
extension of 0.045 m.

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........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 12 marks)
 Stress and strain
Deforming Solids
Forces can be used to change the speed, direction and shape of an object. This section of
Physics looks at using forces to change of shape of a solid object, either temporarily or
permanently.
If a pair of forces are used to squash a material we say that they are compressive forces.
If a pair of forces is used to stretch a material we say that they are tensile forces.

Tensile Stress, σ
Tensile stress is defined as the force applied per unit cross-sectional area (which is the
same as pressure).
This is represented by the equations:
F F
stress= σ=
A A
The largest tensile stress that can be applied to a material before it breaks is called the
ultimate tensile stress (UTS). Nylon has an UTS of 85 MPa whilst Stainless steel has a
value of 600 MPa and Kevlar a massive 3100 MPa
Stress is measured in Newtons per metre squared, N/m2 or N m-2
Stress can also be measured in Pascals, Pa
A tensile stress will cause a tensile strain. Stress causes
Strain

Tensile Strain, ε
Tensile strain is a measure of how the extension of a material compares to the original,
unstretched length.
 This is represented by the equations:
e e
strain= ε=
l l
Steel wire will undergo a strain of 0.01 before it breaks. This means it will stretch by 1% of
its original length then break. Spider silk has a breaking strain of between 0.15 and 0.30,
stretching by 30% before breaking
Strain has no units, it is a ratio of two lengths

Stress-Strain Graphs
A stress-strain graph is very useful for comparing different materials.
Here we can see how the strain of two materials, a and b, changes
when a stress is applied.
If we look at the dotted lines we can see that the same amount of
stress causes a bigger strain in b than in a. This means that b will
increase in length more than a (compared to their original lengths).

Elastic Strain Energy

We can work out the amount of elastic strain energy that is stored per unit volume of the
material.
E= 12 stress×strain
It is given by the equation:
There are two routes we can take to arrive at this result:
Equations
If we start with the equation for the total energy stored in the material:
E= 12 Fe
The volume of the material is given by: V = Al
1
2
Fe
E=
Now divide the total energy stored by the volume: Al which can be written as:
1 Fe
E= 2
A l
If we compare the equation to the equations we know for stress and strain we see that:
E= 12 stress×strain
Graphs
The area under a stress-strain graph gives us the elastic strain energy per unit volume
(m3). The area is given by:
A= 12 base×height 
A= 12 strain×stress or A= 12 stress×strain 
E= 12 stress×strain

Calculations on stress, strain

A strip of rubber originally 75 mm long is stretched until it is 100 mm long.
1. What is the tensile strain?
2. Why does the answer have no units?
3. The greatest tensile stress which steel of a particular sort can withstand without
breaking is about 109 N m-2. A wire of cross-sectional area 0.01 mm2 is made of
this steel. What is the greatest force that it can withstand?
4. Find the minimum diameter of an alloy cable, tensile strength 75 MPa, needed
to support a load of 15 kN.
5. Calculate the tensile stress in a suspension bridge supporting cable, of diameter
of 50 mm, which pulls up on the roadway with a force of 4 kN.
6. Calculate the tensile stress in a nylon fishing line of diameter 0.36 mm which a
fish is pulling with a force of 20 N
7. Calculate the tensile stress in a nylon fishing line of diameter 0.36 mm which a
fish is pulling with a force of 20 N A long strip of rubber whose cross section
measures 12 mm by 0.25 mm is pulled with a force of 3.0 N. What is the tensile
stress in the rubber?
8. Another strip of rubber originally 90 mm long is stretched until it is 120 mm
long. What is the tensile strain?
The marble column in a temple has dimensions 140 mm by 180 mm.
9. What is its cross-sectional area in mm2?
10. Now change each of the initial dimensions to metres – what is the cross-
sectional area in m2?
11. If the temple column supports a load of 10 kN, what is the compressive stress,
in N m-2?
12. The column is 5.0 m tall, and is compressed by 0.1 mm. What is the
compressive strain when this happens?
A 3.0 m length of copper wire of diameter 0.4 mm is suspended from the ceiling.
When a 0.5 kg mass is suspended from the bottom of the wire it extends by 0.9 mm.
13. Calculate the strain of the wire.
14. Calculate the stress in the wire.

Q1.
The figure below shows a person of weight 800 N, crossing the gap between two
buildings on a nylon rope.
 Before the crossing commenced the rope was horizontal and just taut. When the
person is halfway across the rope sags by 5.0°.

(a) Explain briefly why, however taut the rope is, the rope must sag when the
person is on it.

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___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) By calculation or scale drawing, determine the tension in the rope when the
person is half way across.

(3)

(c) The nylon rope has an ultimate tensile stress of 7.0 × 10 7 Pa. Calculate the
minimum diameter of the rope that could be used.

(3)
(Total 7 marks)

Q2.
One end of a steel wire of length 1.2 m and 2.0 mm diameter is attached to a rigid
beam. A 25 g mass is attached to the free end of the steel wire and placed against
 the underside of the beam as shown.

The 25 g mass is released and falls freely until the wire becomes taut. The kinetic
energy of the falling mass is converted to elastic potential energy in the wire as the
wire extends to a maximum of 1.0 mm. Energy converted to other forms is
negligible.

For maximum extension of the wire, complete parts (a) to (e).

(a) Show that the elastic potential energy stored by the extended wire is 0.29 J.

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(b) Calculate the tension in the wire.

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(c) Calculate the stress in the wire.

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(d) Calculate the strain of the wire.

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(Total 8 marks)

Q3.
The figure below shows a stress-strain graph for a copper wire.
(a) Define tensile strain.

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___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) State the breaking stress of this copper wire.

answer = ______________________ Pa
(1)

(c) Mark on the figure above a point on the line where you consider plastic
deformation may start.
Label this point A.
(1)

(d) The area under the line in a stress-strain graph represents the work done per
unit volume to stretch the wire.

(i) Use the graph to find the work done per unit volume in stretching the
wire to a strain of 3.0 × 10–3.

answer = ______________________J m–3

(2)

(ii) Calculate the work done to stretch a 0.015 kg sample of this wire to a
strain of
3.0 × 10–3.
The density of copper = 8960 kg m–3.

answer = ______________________J
(2)
(Total 7 marks)
 Bulk properties of solids
Density, ρ
Density is the mass per unit volume of a material, a measure of how much mass each m
cubic metre of volume contains. Density if given by the equation: ρ=
Where ρ is density, m is mass in kilograms and V is volume in metres cubed. V
Density is measured in kilograms per metre cubed, kg/m3 or kg m-3
Elasticity
Materials extend in length when a stress is applied to them (masses hung from them). A
material can be described as elastic if it returns to its original length when the stress is
removed. They obey Hooke’s Law as extension is proportional to the force applied.
Limit of Proportionality, P
Up to this point the material obeys Hooke’s Law; extension is proportional to the force
applied.
Elastic Limit, E
The elastic limit is the final point where the material will return to its original length if we
remove the stress which is causing the extension (take the masses off). There is no
change to the shape or size of the material.
We say that the material acts plastically beyond its elastic limit.
Yield Point, Y
Beyond the elastic limit a point is reached where small increases in stress cause a
massive increase in extension (strain). The material will not return to its original length
and behaves like a plastic.
Plasticity
Materials extend in length when a stress is applied to them (masses hung from them). A
material can be described as plastic if it does not return to its original length when the
stress is removed. There is a permanent change to its shape
Breaking Stress – Ultimate Tensile Strength, UTS
This is the maximum amount of stress that can be applied to the material without making
it break. It is sometimes referred to as the strength of the material.
Breaking Point, B
This is (surprisingly?) the point where the material breaks.
Stiffness
If different materials were made into wires of equal dimensions, the stiffer materials bend
the least.
Stiff materials have low flexibility
Ductility
A ductile material can be easily and permanently stretched. Copper is a good example, it
can easily be drawn out into thin wires. This can be seen in graph d below.
Brittleness
A brittle material will extend obeying Hooke’s Law when a stress is applied to it. It will
suddenly fracture with no warning sign of plastic deformation. Glass, pottery and
chocolate are examples of brittle materials.
Stress-Strain Graphs

In the first graph we see a material that stretches, shows plastic behaviour and eventually
breaks.
In the second graph we can see that material a is stiffer than material b because the
same stress causes a greater strain in b.
 In the third graph we see materials c and e are brittle because they break without
showing plastic behaviour.
The fourth graph shows how a material can be permanently deformed, the wire does not
return to its original length when the stress is removed (the masses have been removed).

Density questions
1. 1 kg of nitrogen is used to fill a balloon. If the density of nitrogen is 1.25 kg m -3, what is
going to be the volume of the balloon?

2. What will be the mass of air in a classroom that is 15 m long, 10 m wide and 4 m high?
(Density of air = 1.3 kg m-3).

3. A tank measures 60 cm long and 45 cm wide. If 72 kg of water is enough to fill the tank,
how deep is the tank? (Density of water = 1000 kg m -3).

4. A solid of steel cylinder has a diameter of 12 mm and a length of 85 mm . Calculate:

a) Its volume in m3.
b) Its mass in kg, density of steel = 7800kg/m3.

5. In the diagram below, the piston contains 0.2 kg of oxygen, which has a density of 1.43 kg
m-3.
a) If the plunger is at a height of 40 cm, what is the cross-sectional area of the plunger?
b)The gas is heated and the plunger rises a further 20 cm. What is the density of the oxygen
now?

Oxygen

40 cm

Q1.
(a) Define the density of a material.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)

(b) Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, consists of 70% by volume of copper and
30% by volume of zinc.

density of copper = 8.9 × 103 kg m–3

density of zinc = 7.1 × 103 kg m–3

(i) Determine the mass of copper and the mass of zinc required to make a
rod of brass of volume 0.80 × 10–3 m3.

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______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
 ______________________________________________________________

(ii) Calculate the density of brass.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________
(4)
(Total 5 marks)

Q2.
A seismometer is a device that is used to record the movement of the ground
during an earthquake. A simple seismometer is shown in the diagram.

A heavy spherical ball is attached to a pivot by a rod so that the rod and ball can
move in a vertical plane. The rod is suspended by a spring so that, in equilibrium,
the spring is vertical and the rod is horizontal. A pen is attached to the ball. The pen
draws a line on graph paper attached to a drum rotating about a vertical axis. Bolts
secure the seismometer to the ground so that the frame of the seismometer moves
during the earthquake.

(a) The ball is made of steel of density 8030 kg m −3 and has a diameter of 5.0 cm.

Show that the weight of the ball is approximately 5 N.

(3)

(b) The distance from the surface of the ball to the pivot is 12.0 cm, as shown in
the diagram above.

Calculate the moment of the weight of the ball about the pivot when the rod is
horizontal. Give an appropriate unit for your answer.
 moment = ____________________ unit = __________
(3)

(c) The spring is attached at a distance of 8.0 cm from the pivot and the spring
has a stiffness of 100 N m−1.

Calculate the extension of the spring when the rod is horizontal and the spring
is vertical. You may assume the mass of the pen and the mass of the rod are
negligible.

extension = ____________________ m
(3)

(d) Before an earthquake occurs, the line being drawn on the graph paper is
horizontal.

Explain what happens to the line on the graph paper when an earthquake is
detected and the frame of the seismometer accelerates rapidly downwards.

___________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 11 marks)
Properties of materials:
1. Write a definition for each of the following terms:
a) Brittle:
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b) Tough:
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c) Strong:
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d) Elastic:
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e) Plastic:
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f) Hard:
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g) Soft:
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h) Stiff:
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i) Breaking stress:
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j) Yield point:
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___________________________________________________________________
k) Elastic limit:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
l) Limit of proportionality:
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2. In this question, two marks are available for the quality of written communication.

The diagram below shows stress-strain graphs up to the point of fracture for three
different materials.

stress stress stress

copper

cast iron

polythene

0 0 0
0 strain 0 strain 0 strain

Use the terms plastic, elastic, brittle, and ductile, where appropriate, to describe
the behaviour of the materials represented by the graphs.

cast iron ...................................................................................................................

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copper ......................................................................................................................

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polythene .................................................................................................................

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[8]
Quality of Written Communication [2]
[Total 10 marks]
 The Young modulus
The Young Modulus, E
The Young Modulus can be thought of as the stiffness constant of a material, a measure of
how much strain will result from a stress being applied to the material. It can be used to
compare the stiffness of different materials even though their dimensions are not the
same.
The Young Modulus only applies up to the limit of proportionality of a material.
stress σ
YoungModulus= E=
strain or in equation terms we have ε
F e
σ= ε=
We have equations for stress A and strain l which makes the equation look like

E=
( )
F
A

this:
( el )
An easier way of writing this is
E= ( FA )×( el )
which becomes:
E=
Fl
Ae
The Young Modulus is measured in Newtons per metre squares, N/m 2 or N m-2

Stress-Strain Graphs
The Young Modulus of a material can be found from its stress-strain graph.
Δy stress
gradient= gradient=
Since Δx , this becomes strain for our graph. Our top equation stated
stress
YoungModulus=
that strain so we see that the gradient of a stress-strain graph gives us the
Young Modulus.
This only applied to the straight line section of the graph, where gradient (and Young
Modulus) are constant.

Measuring the Young Modulus

Here is a simple experimental set up for finding the Young Modulus of a material.

 A piece of wire is held by a G-clamp,

sent over a pulley with the smallest
mass attached to it. This should
keep it straight without extending it.
 Measure the length from the clamp
to the pointer. This is the original
length (unstretched).
 Use a micrometer to measure the
diameter of the wire in several
places. Use this to calculate the cross-sectional area of the
wire.
 Add a mass to the loaded end of the wire.
 Record the extension by measuring how far the pointer has
moved from its start position.
 Repeat for several masses but ensuring the elastic limit is not
reached.
 Remove the masses, one at a time taking another set of
reading of the extension.
 Calculate stress and strain for each mass.
  Plot a graph of stress against strain and calculate the gradient of the line which gives
the Young Modulus.

Here is a more precise way of finding the Young Modulus but involves taking the same
measurements of extension and force applied.
It is called Searle’s apparatus.

Stress, Strain and the Young Modulus

1. The four bars A, B, C and D have diameters, lengths and loads as shown. They are
all made of the same material.

Which bar has the greatest extension?

(Total 1 mark)

2. Define the quantities

(i) stress

.........................................................................................................................
[1]

(ii) strain.

.........................................................................................................................
[1]

3. The figure below shows one possible method for determining the Young modulus of
a metal in the form of a wire.

clam p m arker
w ood blocks m etal w ire pulley

B E N C H TO P

m asses
 Describe how you can use this apparatus to determine the Young modulus of the
metal. The sections below should be helpful when writing your answers.

The measurements to be taken:

In your answer, you should use appropriate technical terms, spelled correctly.

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The equipment used to take the measurements:

In your answer, you should use appropriate technical terms, spelled correctly.

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How you would determine Young modulus from your measurements:

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[Total 8 marks]
5. Below is a stress-strain graph up to the point of fracture for a rod of cast iron.

200
stress / 10 6
Pa fracture
point
160

120

80

40

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4
strain / 10 –3

–4 2
(a) The rod of cast iron has a cross-sectional area of 1.5 × 10 m .

Calculate

(i) the force applied to the rod at the point of fracture

force = ............................ N [2]

(ii) the Young modulus of cast iron.

Young modulus ............................. = N m –2

[3]

(b) Use the graph or otherwise to describe the stress-strain behaviour of cast iron
up to and including the fracture point.

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 .........................................................................................................................

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[3]

6. A metal wire of length 1.2 m is clamped vertically. A weight is hung from the lower
end of the wire. The extension of the wire is 0.35 mm. The cross-sectional area of
–7 2 11
the wire is 1.4 × 10 m and the Young modulus of the metal is 1.9 × 10 Pa.

Calculate

(i) the strain of the wire

strain = ......................................................... [1]

(ii) the tension in the wire.

tension = ...................................................... N [2]

[Total 3 marks]

7. The table below shows the results of an experiment where a force was applied to a
sample of metal.

(a) On the axes below, plot a graph of stress against strain using the data in the
table.

Strain
0 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 9.00 10.00
/ 10–3

Stress /
0 0.90 2.15 3.15 3.35 3.20 3.30 3.50 3.60 3.60 3.50
108 Pa
 (3)

(b) Use your graph to find the Young modulus of the metal.

answer = ...................................... Pa (2)

(c) A 3.0 m length of steel rod is going to be used in the construction of a bridge.
The tension in the rod will be 10 kN and the rod must extend by no more than
1.0mm. Calculate the minimum cross-sectional area required for the rod.

Young modulus of steel = 1.90 × 1011 Pa

answer = ...................................... m 2 (3)

Synoptic Questions
1. The results given in the table below are obtained in an experiment to determine the
Young modulus of a metal in the form of a wire. The wire is loaded in steps of 5.0 N
up to 25.0 N and then unloaded.
loading unloading

load / N extension / mm extension /mm

0.0 0.00 0.00

 5.0 0.24 0.24

10.0 0.47 0.48

15.0 0.71 0.71

20.0 0.96 0.95

25.0 1.20 1.20

(i) Using the results in the table and without plotting a graph, state and explain
whether the deformation of the wire

1 is plastic or elastic

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[1]

2 obeys Hooke’s law.

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[2]

(ii) Explain how the extension and length of the wire may be determined
experimentally.

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[2]

–7
(iii) The wire tested is 1.72 m long and has a cross-sectional area of 1.80 × 10
2
m . Use the extension value given in the table for a load of 25.0 N to calculate
the Young modulus of the metal of the wire.

Young modulus = .............................. Pa [3]

[Total 8 marks]

2. The figure below shows a mechanism for firing a table tennis ball vertically into the
air.
 ball platform

spring

spring fixed
to plate plate

pull and release

to fire ball

–1
The spring has a force constant of 75 N m . The ball is placed on the platform at
the top of the spring.

(i) The spring is compressed by 0.085 m by pulling the platform. Calculate the
force exerted by the compressed spring on the ball immediately after the
spring is released. Assume both the spring and the platform have negligible
mass.

force = .......................................................N [2]

–3
(ii) The mass of the ball is 2.5 × 10 kg. Calculate the initial acceleration of the
ball.

–2
acceleration = .................................................m s [1]

(iii) Calculate the maximum height that could be gained by the ball. Assume all the
elastic potential energy of the spring is converted into gravitational potential
energy of the ball.

height = ......................................................m [3]

[Total 6 marks]

3. The figure below shows a violin.

 Two of the wires used on the violin, labelled A and G are made of steel. The two
wires are both 500 mm long between the pegs and support. The 500 mm length of
–3 3
wire labelled G has a mass of 2.0 × 10 kg. The density of steel is 7.8 × 10 kg m
–3
.

–7 2
(i) Show that the cross-sectional area of wire G is 5.1 × 10 m .

[2]

(ii) The wires are put under tension by turning the wooden pegs shown in the
11
figure. The Young modulus of steel is 2.0 × 10 Pa.
–4
Calculate the tension required in wire G to produce an extension of 4.0  10
m.

tension = ................................N [3]

(iii) Wire A has a diameter that is half that of wire G. Determine the tension
–4
required for wire A to produce an extension of 16 × 10 m.

tension = ................................N [1]

(iv) State the law that has been assumed in the calculations in (ii) and (iii).

.........................................................................................................................
[1]
[Total 7 marks]

4. (a) State Hooke’s law.

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................
[2]

(b) The diagram below shows the variation of the applied force F with the
extension
x for a particular spring.
(i) Use the diagram to determine the force constant of the spring.

–1
force constant = ..................................N m [2]

(ii) Determine the elastic potential energy stored in the spring when a force
of 20 N is applied.

energy stored = ......................................... J [2]

(iii) State one assumption made in your calculation of the energy in (ii).

................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................
[1]
 (iv) The energy stored in the spring is used to propel a metal ball of mass m
horizontally. There is 100% transfer of energy from the spring to the ball.
Show how the speed v of the metal ball is proportional to the extension x
of the spring. Find the constant of proportionality.

................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................
[2]
[Total 9 marks]

5. (a) State Hooke’s law for a material in the form of a wire and state the
conditions under which this law applies.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) A length of steel wire and a length of brass wire are joined together. This
combination is suspended from a fixed support and a force of 80 N is applied
at the bottom end, as shown in the figure below.

Each wire has a cross-sectional area of 2.4 × 10 –6 m2.

length of the steel wire = 0.80 m

length of the brass wire = 1.40 m
the Young modulus for steel = 2.0 × 10 11 Pa
the Young modulus for brass = 1.0 × 10 11 Pa

(i) Calculate the total extension produced when the force of 80 N is applied.

.............................................................................................................
 .............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

(ii) Show that the mass of the combination wire = 4.4 × 10 –2 kg.

density of steel = 7.9 × 103 kg m–3

density of brass = 8.5 × 103 kg m–3

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

............................................................................................................. (7)

(c) A single brass wire has the same mass and the same cross-sectional area as
the combination wire described in part (b). Calculate its length.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 11 marks)
Acknowledgements:
The notes in this booklet come from TES user dwyernathaniel. The original notes can
be found here:
[Link]
Questions in the Hooke’s Law and Young’s modulus sections come from Bernard
Rand’s resources (@BernardRand). His original resources can be found here:
[Link]
Questions on stress and strain are from the IoP TAP project. The original resources can
be found here:
[Link]

Questions on density are originally from TES user HKhan67. The original resources can
be found here:
[Link]
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