Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Hooke's Law states that the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to the displacement of the spring from its equilibrium position. In other words, it describes how a spring stretches or compresses when a force is applied to it.
Related terms
Spring Force: The force exerted by a spring when it is stretched or compressed. It follows Hooke's Law and is directly proportional to the displacement of the spring.
A measure of how stiff or flexible a particular spring is. It represents the ratio between the force applied to a spring and its resulting displacement.
The energy stored in an elastic object (such as a stretched or compressed spring) due to its deformation from its equilibrium position. It depends on both the displacement and stiffness of the object.