Question

The spring constant of a spring is 7.1 N/cm. The constant applies to forces that _____.

compress the spring, but not stretch it

either stretch or compress the spring

stretch the spring, but not compress it

Answer 1

Hi!

The correct answer is : either stretch or compress the spring

Step-by-step explanation

The spring constant, denoted commonly as k, is a component of Hooke's law which describes the force that is required to compress or stretch an object to be directly proportional to the length of extension or compression.

F ∝ x

where F is the force applied to the spring, and x is the length of extension or compression.

The equation of Hooke's law is consequently

F = kx

where k is a non zero constant, known as the spring constant.

Hope this helps!