In Hooke's law, Fspring=kΔx, what does the k stand for?

Question

Responses

the constant of gravity

the constant of gravity

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

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

the distance the spring stretches

the distance the spring stretches

the amount of force acting on the spring

Answer 1

In Hooke's law, \( F_{\text{spring}} = k \Delta x \), the \( k \) stands for the elastic constant, a number that tells the relative strength of the spring. This constant quantifies how much force is needed to stretch or compress the spring by a unit distance (i.e., it indicates the stiffness of the spring).