Question

A force of 2N will stretch a rubber band 0.02m. Assuming that Hooke's Law applies, answer the following: How far will a 1600N force stretch the rubber band? How much work does it take to stretch the rubber band this far?

Answer 1

Hooke's Law states that the extension is directly proportional to the force applied so:
F/x = constant

F₁/x₁ = F₂/x₂
2 / 0.02 = 1600 / x₂
x₂ = 16 m

Elastic work = 1/2 Fx
= 1/2 * 1600 * 16
= 12.8 kJ