A spring is piece of wire or metal that can be extended
or compressed by an external force but which then returns to its
original length when that force is no longer applied.
There are many different types of spring including, spiral
coil, leaf springs and torsion springs. Springs are used in many
applications including clocks, vehicle suspensions etc. In the
type of questions that you will be asked in mechanical aptitude
tests, you can assume that springs behave in a linear way. That
is, doubling the force applied will stretch or compress the spring
twice as much.
Springs in Series & Parallel
If more than one spring is used then they can be arranged in one
of two ways, either in series or in parallel.
When springs are arranged in series, each spring is subjected
to the force applied. When the springs are arranged in parallel
the force is divided equally between the springs.
Example Spring Question
1. A force of 5 Kg compresses the springs in series 10cm.What
will be the total distance that the springs in parallel are
compressed?
|
A) 10cms |
B) 2.5cms |
C) 5cms |
D)7.5 cms |
Answer to Question
1. C – The total force will be divided equally between the 2
springs in parallel. Since the force is divided in half, the
distance moved will also be halved. The springs in series were
compressed 10 cms, so the springs in parallel will be compressed 5
cms.
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