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Meaning of inelastically deformed
The manufacturer of the chair tests a new spring to see if it is suitable to hang the chair.
The spring can store a maximum of 1800 J of elastic potential energy before it becomes inelastically deformed.
Describe what is meant by ‘inelastically deformed’.
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Marking points
- 1 State that the spring will not return to its original length.
- 2 Make clear that this is after the force has been removed.
Full-mark answer
An inelastically deformed spring does not return to its original length when the force is removed.
Why this answer loses marks
It goes back to its original length.
That describes elastic deformation, not inelastic deformation.