We used our collective knowledge in chemistry to effectively choose the correct springs. Springs are usually made of a metal as they are the strongest and can be used for a variety of things; such as trampolines, slinkies and vehicle suspensions. But in our project, we decided to use them to measure in newtons, the force (and hence an approximate of the strength) that a certain muscle could produce (e.g. Biceps). The springs we have are both made of hardened steel. This form of steel is made by rapidly cooling the high carbon steel (quenching) and then by heating it (tempering) to produce Martensite (final form of the steel – hardened steel). Although hardened steel seems like it would be too “strong” to stretch, during the fabrication, the steel is only tempered and quenched for a certain amount of time to obtain the exact atomic constitution of the metal.
If you were wondering why we didn’t choose a different material for our spring, the answer isn’t complicated. In our situation, this one was the best choice; it’s strong, was cheap and looks good. We needed to make sure it wouldn’t either become permanently damaged when unbearable force is applied or lose its elasticity (Hooke’s Law). And so, depending on the person, we chose to use two springs, both of the same chemical material, but of different lengths and appearance. Our first spring is designed for the stronger experimenters (this spring has a shorter length, a larger diameter and a larger circumference). The second spring is destined to the less physically apt student (with a longer length, smaller circumference and a smaller diameter). Although the chemical properties are the same in both cases, the physical properties differ, and that’s what makes a difference. The fact that one of them is longer and has a smaller diameter will make it easier to pull it. The same explanation goes for the other spring.
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