Hooke’s Law and the Science Behind Springs

The humble spring is amazing in its simplicity and capability. Whether it is a compression spring design, torsion spring design or extension spring design, springs are engineered to serve a wide range of needs by providing stored energy.

In order to understand how springs work, one must consider the mechanics of the spring. Hooke’s Law is the principle of physics behind the elasticity, torsion, and force involved with springs.

Hooke’s Law is named for 17th century British physicist, Robert Hooke. Hooke sought to demonstrate the relationship between the forces applied to a spring and its elasticity. Hooke’s Law states that the extension of a spring is proportional to the load that is applied to it. A variety of materials obey this law as long as the load does not exceed the material’s elastic limit.

Hooke’s Law Equation

The length of a spring always changes by the same amount when it is pushed or pulled. In the case of a linear spring being pushed or pulled in one direction, the mathematical representation of Hooke’s Law is as follows:

F = kx

“F” being the amount of push or pull is on the spring

“k” being a constant, indicating the stiffness of the spring

“x” being the distance the spring was pushed or pulled

Elasticity and Restoring Force

Elasticity is the property of an object that causes it to return to its original shape after it has been manipulated in some way. Hooke’s law is considered to be the earliest explanation of this concept.

Restoring force enables the spring to return to its original shape after undergoing manipulation.  In the context of Hooke’s Law, the restoring force is usually proportional to the amount of stretch experienced.

When you need springs, be sure to speak with an experienced spring manufacturer that can help you determine which type of spring and which material will provide you with the best application fit and performance. Contact us to speak with one of our spring experts.