Question

In the seventeenth century, Robert Hooke conducted many experiments with springs. In all the data he recorded, he found that the force needed to push down on a spring or stretch it out from its usual resting point was equal to the spring’s stiffness multiplied by the distance it is pushed or pulled from its resting point. He wrote the equation F = kX, in which F is the force, k is the spring’s stiffness, and X is the distance the end of the spring moves from its usual resting point when no push or pull is applied. The equation is still used today.

Which best describes Hooke’s equation?

A) It is a law, because it explains why a force must be applied to push or pull a spring.

B) It is a law, because it states how force relates to a spring but does not explain why.

C)It is a theory, because it explains why a force must be applied to push or pull a spring.
 
D)It is a theory, because it states how force relates to a spring but does not explain why.

Answer 1

B) It is a law, because it states how force relates to a spring but does not explain why.

Step-by-step explanation:

As we know that Law is defined as the hypothesis which is experimentally verified. This law is converted into theory if we can prove it mathematically with a given theory.

So here we know that in spring force calculation we obtained a relation that if spring is compressed or expanded by some distance "x" then the spring force on it will be proportional to that distance.

Since there is only experimental verification is available for this hypothesis so it must be defined as law.

so here correct answer will be

B) It is a law, because it states how force relates to a spring but does not explain why.

Answer 2

B.
The explanation of the relationship between load and extension is not in Hooke's Law.