Force & Extension - Test

AQA GCSE Physics Force and Extension required practical. ‍Combined & Triple Science.

Need to revise first? Study the illustrated Force & Extension practical.

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A student wants to determine the relationship between the force and extension of a spring. Plan a valid method that allows them to plot an appropriate graph.

[6 marks]

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1. Prepare

• How do we set up the equipment?

  • Set up 2 clamps on a clamp stand

  • Attach spring securely with one clamp

  • Attach ruler alongside it and position it vertically

  • Make sure the zero mark of the ruler is level with the top of the spring

2. Measure & Change

• What do we measure? (Dependent variable)

  • Measure the length of the spring before adding any weights to determine the original length

  • Calculate Extension

• What do we change (Independent variable)?

  • Then add known weights (1N, 2N, 3N etc) in equal increments (of 1N), recording the force in newtons and the spring's length in m after each addition - allow the spring to settle before recording each measurement.

3. Calculate

• How do we calculate extension?

  For each weight:

  • Extension (m) = stretched length (m) - original length (m)

4. Plot

• What graph do we plot? What relationship do we expect?

  • Force (N) on the y axis and Extension (m) on the x axis

  • Draw a positive straight line from the origin

  • The straight section is when Hooke’s Law applies (force and extension are directly proportional here)

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Exam Challenge

• Now, answer the original 6-mark question without looking back.

  • Set up 2 clamps on a clamp stand

  • Attach spring securely

  • Attach ruler alongside it and position it vertically

  • Make sure the zero mark of the ruler is level with the top of the spring

  • Measure the length of the spring before adding any weights to determine the original length

  • Add known weights (1N, 2N, 3N etc) in equal increments (of 1N), recording the force in N and the spring's length in m after each addition - allow the spring to settle before recording each measurement.

  • For each weight, calculate:

    • Extension (m) = stretched length (m) - original length (m)

  • Plot Force (N) on the y-axis and Extension (m) on the x-axis

  • Draw a positive straight line from the origin

  • The straight section is when Hook’s Law applies (force and extension are directly proportional here)

Missed some steps? Return to this practical’s step-by-step visual explanation.

More Exam-style Questions

• How do we prevent parallax error in this practical?

  Measure the spring's length at eye level to reduce parallax error.

• How do we improve reliability of the practical?

  Item description

Continue Revising Paper 2

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