Question

In Hooke's law, Fₛₚᵣᵢₙ=kΔx , what does the Fspring stand for?

a. the amount of force acting on the spring
b. the elastic constant, a number that tells the relative strength of the spring
c. the constant of gravity
d. the distance the spring stretches

Answer 1

In Hooke's law, Fspring stands for the restoring force which attempts to return a spring to its original position after deformation. The constant k represents the stiffness of the spring, while Δx refers to the displacement from equilibrium.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Hooke's law, which is represented as Fspring = kΔx (or F = -kx in its more common form), the variable Fspring stands for the restoring force exerted by the spring. This force is what tries to bring the spring back to its equilibrium or original, undeformed position. The constant k is known as the force constant or spring constant and represents the stiffness of the spring. The variable Δx (or x in the simplified form) refers to the displacement from equilibrium or the amount by which the spring has been stretched or compressed. When a spring follows Hooke's law, the force required to deform it is directly proportional to the distance it is stretched or compressed, with the force constant k determining the ratio of force to displacement.