Work-Kinetic Theorem

Purpose: We will measure the work that is done when we stretch a spring through a fixed or measured distance.

Process:
1) The first thing that we will do is collect data by a force that will be applied by a stretched spring. The graph will be a force vs distance graph. After we find this graph we will be able to calculate the work done by finding the area under the curve on the graph.

2) There will be a cart that will be pulled by a horizontal force on the surface of a ramp. Set up the motion detector, force probe and the spring attached to the cart. Now we must calibrate the force to be 4.9 newtons that will be applied to the cart.

3) Now we must begin graphing the force vs position graph by letting it move slowly towards the detector, which is the positive direction. You will get the graph until the spring is stretched about 1 m.We can find our spring constant by using hookes law.

4) Now we must measure the cart mass and enter a formula by going to data then new calculated column that will allow us to calculate the kinetic energy of the cart at any point. We then make sure that the cart is stretched out to 1 m from the unstretched point, let it go and and begin graphing.

5) Now we can find the change in kinetic energy from the initial release point to other final positions and the work done by the spring up to these positions. To find the area under the curve we divide the area into shapes we can take areas from, in this case a triangle and square. We calculate the areas of these and add them together to get the work done.

Conclusion:
We have learned how to find the work done by a spring and graph are results. It is important to make sure the graphing is done with nothing interfering with the motion detector and to accurately graph from the displacement along the track.