A spring is stretched by applying a load to its free end. The strain produced in the spring is

Options

A. volumetric
B. shear
C. longitudinal and shear
D. longitudinal

Explanation

To find the strain produced in a spring when a load is applied to its free end, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Concept of Strain
Strain is defined as the change in length per unit original length. When a load is applied to a spring, it stretches, leading to a change in its length.

### Step 2: Identify the Original Length of the Spring
Let the original length of the spring be denoted as \( L \).

### Step 3: Determine the Change in Length
When a load is applied to the spring, it stretches by a certain amount, which we can denote as \( \Delta L \). This change in length is the result of the applied load.

### Step 4: Calculate the Longitudinal Strain
The longitudinal strain (\( \epsilon \)) can be calculated using the formula:
\[ \epsilon = \frac{\Delta L}{L} \]
where:
- \( \Delta L \) is the change in length of the spring,
- \( L \) is the original length of the spring.

### Step 5: Consider Shear Strain
In addition to longitudinal strain, when a load is applied parallel to the cross-sectional area of the spring, shear strain may also occur. However, for the purpose of this question, we focus primarily on the longitudinal strain.

### Step 6: Conclusion
The strain produced in the spring due to the applied load is primarily the longitudinal strain, which can be expressed as:
\[ \text{Strain} = \frac{\Delta L}{L} \]