If a pogo stick was to be reinvented and you were to choose the spring type. What type of spring will generate the most return of kinetic energy compared to least amount of force needed to compress the spring...you can use leaf, coil, scissor, compression, or extension type spring as the linkage factor is irrelevant to this question... i assume a cam can be involved as archers use a 50lb of pull to generate 275fps arrow velocity...if i use your answer for my manufacturing dilema, you will be paid hansomly.. PS i am not building a pogo stick

Answer 1

To generate (or store) a large required amount of energy with a low compression force, you obviously need a low value of the spring constant, k.

Energy = (1/2)k X^2
Force = k X

Energy/Force = (1/2) X
= (1/2)*sqrt(2E/k)

That is the reason coil-type springs are used. They have low sprng constants in spite of the high elastic modulus (stiffness) of the metal materials used to make them.

Compressed air (like the air pockets in some running and basketball shoes) can also be a beneficial design approach.