Doubling the weight suspended vertically from a coil spring will result in a change in the displacement of the spring's lower end by what factor?
A) 4.0
B) 3.0
C) 2.0
D) 0.5

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Hooke's law, the displacement of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied to it. When the weight suspended from the spring is doubled, the force applied to the spring also doubles. Therefore, the displacement of the spring's lower end will also double. (i.e., if x is the displacement of the lower end when the weight is W, then 2x will be the displacement when the weight is 2W) Hence the correct answer is option C.

Doubling the Weight Suspended Vertically from a Coil Spring Will