Forces and elasticity

State — 3 marks

A student investigates the elasticity of a metal spring by hanging weights from it and measuring the extension. The spring obeys Hooke's Law up to a load of 5 N. When a 6 N weight is added, the spring does not return to its original length when the weight is removed.

1. State what is meant by the elastic limit of a spring. [1 mark]
2. State the maximum load that can be applied to this spring while it remains elastic. [1 mark]
3. State the name of the deformation that occurs when a load of 6 N is applied to the spring. [1 mark]