Question

in hookes law, $f_{spring} = k\delta x$, what does the $k$ stand for?

• the constant of gravity
• the distance the spring stretches
• the amount of force acting on the spring
• the elastic constant, a number that tells the relative strength of the spring

Explanation:

Hooke's Law \( F_{\text{spring}} = k\Delta x \) describes the force exerted by a spring. The constant \( k \) is the spring (elastic) constant, which represents the spring's stiffness or relative strength (how much force is needed to stretch/compress it by a unit distance). The "constant of gravity" is \( g \), \( \Delta x \) is the distance stretched, and \( F_{\text{spring}} \) is the force on the spring. So \( k \) is the elastic constant.

Answer:

the elastic constant, a number that tells the relative strength of the spring