Hooke's Law

What is hooke's law?

Hooke's Law states that the force required to extend (or compress) a spring is proportional to the extension, provided the spring is within its elastic limit: F = kx, where k is the spring constant (N/m) and x is the extension from natural length. Past the elastic limit the relationship becomes non-linear and the spring may deform permanently. A force-extension graph rewards correct gradient calculation (gradient = k).