Define Hooke’s law

Hooke's Law is a principle in physics that describes the relationship between the force applied to a spring and the resulting displacement or deformation of that spring. The law is named after the 17th-century English scientist Robert Hooke, who first formulated it.

Mathematically, Hooke's Law is expressed as:

F=−k⋅x

Where:

F is the force applied to the spring,

k is the spring constant (a measure of the stiffness of the spring),

x is the displacement or deformation of the spring from its equilibrium position.

The negative sign in the equation indicates that the force exerted by the spring is opposite in direction to the displacement. In other words, if you compress or stretch the spring, the force exerted by the spring will be in the opposite direction.

Hooke's Law is valid within the elastic limit of a material, meaning that it applies as long as the material returns to its original shape and size when the force is removed. If the force applied exceeds the elastic limit, the material may undergo permanent deformation or damage.