What is the minimum number of forces required to cause tensile deformation in a wire?
A mechanical design company manufactures three tension scales (gauges): A, B, and C. All three scales use internal springs of identical unstretched length and have the same maximum physical casing length, meaning the maximum extension of each spring inside is identical.
Which tension scale would be most appropriate to measure a force of approximately 5.4 N5.4\text{ N}5.4 N? Explain your answer.
Explain the structural changes and mechanical behavior of the spring inside Scale A if a load of 25 N25\text{ N}25 N is suspended from it.
Which tension scale contains the spring with the largest spring constant? Explain your answer.
A researcher suggests that a strip of vulcanized polymer (elastomer) could be used instead of a steel spring in a precision tension scale.
Explain why this polymer strip would not make a suitable replacement for a spring in this instrument.
A suspension spring in a high-performance mountain bike has a spring constant of 1200 N/m1200\text{ N/m}1200 N/m.
Calculate the elastic potential energy stored in the spring when it is compressed by 7.5 cm7.5\text{ cm}7.5 cm.