The elastic constants of helicoidal plastic springs used in notebooks and latex tubes were determined through simple experimental procedures available in most laboratories. We show that the notebook spirals obey the Hookes law while the latex tubes have a non-linear restoring force under deformation. We determine also the velocity of a projectile of a few grams thrown by a slingshot made of latex tubes. The momentum acquired by the projectile using such apparatus could be lethal.
elastic constant; slingshot; Hookes law
