PlanetPhysics/Hooke's Law

Hooke's law describes the opposing [[../Thrust/|force]] exerted by a spring:

$F=-kd$

where $k$ is the spring constant, and $d$ is the distance the end of the spring is disturbed from its [[../Position/|position]] at relaxation (assuming the other end is fixed).

This law is used not only for metal springs, but also in many other "spring-like" interactions in nature, including interactions between microscopic or [[../CosmologicalConstant2/|subatomic particles]]. The simple linear nature of the law makes it very convenient to [[../Work/|work]] with analytically.

However, this simple linear behavior should be a clue that in most instances the law is not precise; it is just an approximation. For metal springs, the law only holds in the region where the spring behaves elastically; outside of this region, the law breaks down.