CBSE Class 11-science Answered

Hooke's law of elasticity is an approximation that states that the extension of a spring (strain) is in direct proportion with the load added to it (stress) as long as this load does not exceed the elastic limit. Materials for which Hooke's law is a useful approximation are known as linear-elastic or "Hookean" materials. Hooke's law in simple terms says that strain is directly proportional to stress.

Mathematically, Hooke's law states that

where

x is the displacement of the end of the spring from its equilibrium position (in SI units: "m");

F is the restoring force exerted by the material (in SI units: "N" or kgms^-2); and

k is the force constant (or spring constant) (in SI units: "N·m^-1" or "kgs^-2").