A spring is being considered for use on a hatch. The hatch applies a force of 5.0 N to the spring. For the spring to be suitable, its extension at this force must be no more than 16 mm, and it must return to its original length when the force is removed.
A technician loads the spring and records its extension at four forces.
| Force applied in N\mathrm{N}N | Extension in mm\mathrm{mm}mm |
|---|---|
| 1.5 | 4.5 |
| 3.0 | 9.0 |
| 4.5 | 13.5 |
| 6.0 | 18.0 |
When the 6.0 N force is removed, the extension of the spring returns to 0 mm.
Evaluate whether the spring is suitable for the hatch.
Use a calculation in your answer.
102 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 15.1 Forces and springs, covering 15.1.1 Elastic and inelastic distortion, 15.1.2 The spring constant, 15.1.3 Work done in stretching a spring, and 15.1.4 Linear and non-linear force–extension. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.