Question

In the seventeenth century, Robert Hooke conducted many experiments with springs. In all the data he recorded, he found that the force needed to push down on a spring or stretch it out from its usual resting point was equal to the spring’s stiffness multiplied by the distance it is pushed or pulled from its resting point. He wrote the equation F = kX, in which F is the force, k is the spring’s stiffness, and X is the distance the end of the spring moves from its usual resting point when no push or pull is applied. The equation is still used today.

Which best describes Hooke’s equation?

It is a law, because it explains why a force must be applied to push or pull a spring.
It is a law, because it states how force relates to a spring but does not explain why.
It is a theory, because it explains why a force must be applied to push or pull a spring.
It is a theory, because it states how force relates to a spring but does not explain why.

Answer 1

It is a law, because it states how force relates to a spring but does not explain why.

Hooke’s law is an empirical (descriptive) relationship—F = kX summarizes observations about springs (valid within the elastic limit) rather than providing a mechanistic explanation.