Hooke's Law
Definition
Hooke's Law states that within the elastic limit, the force required to stretch or compress an elastic material (like a spring) is directly proportional to its displacement from equilibrium.
Analogy
Imagine stretching a rubber band gently and noticing how easily it stretches. Now pull harder and observe how much more force you need for each additional stretch distance. Hooke's Law explains this relationship between force and displacement.
Related terms
Elastic Limit: The maximum amount of deformation an elastic material can undergo and still return to its original shape.
Equilibrium Position: The position where the force on an object is balanced, resulting in no net force or acceleration.
Displacement: The change in position of an object from its initial position.
"Hooke's Law" appears in:
Subjects (2)
Additional resources (2)
Practice Questions (2)
- The "k" variable in Hooke's Law represents the
- Hooke's Law is best expressed by the equation
Resources
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