Springs

Springs

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about identifying patterns in data.
Tracey had been investigating how much a spring stretched when various masses were attached to it.
Here are the results of her investigation:
Mass (g)
Length of stretch (mm)
50
100
150
200
20
40
60
80
 
She graphed her results like this:
graph of stretch and mass

Question 2Change answer

a)  Use the graph to work out the length of stretch for
i)  60 g  mm
ii)  160 g   mm

Question 2Change answer

b)  What is the mass if the stretch is 45 mm? g

Question

c)  There is a simple relationship between mass and stretch. What is the relationship?

    • stretch = 0.4 × mass

    • mass = 0.4 × stretch

    • stretch = 20 + mass

    • mass = 20 + stretch

Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Physical World
Keywords: 
physics concepts, forces, elasticity, stretch, mass, graphs, tables
Description of task: 
Task: Answer questions about relationships between mass and stretch. Assessment focus: identifying patterns in data.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Interpret representataions
This resource provides opportunities to discuss reading a graph.
 
Science capabilities: 
Interpret representations
Answers/responses: 
  Y9 (11/1996)
a)
i) 24 mm (± 5 mm)
ii) 64 mm (± 5 mm)
easy
easy
b) 112.5 g (± 5 g) difficult
c) stretch = 0.4 × mass moderate
Diagnostic and formative information: 
   Common error
a i) Answers in the range:
30 to 40 mm – 12% of students.
More than 40 mm – 9% of students.
a ii) Answers in the range:
70 mm to 80 mm – 14% of students.
b) Answers in the range:
Less than 100 g – 16% of students.
100 g to 107.4 g – 9% of students.
117.6 g to 130 g – 26% of students.
More than 130 g – 5% of students.
c) Option B was selected by 22% of students.