Hooke’s Law

• Springs were investigated by Robert Hooke nearly 350 years ago.

• He found that the extension was proportional to the stretching force
provided the spring was not permanently stretched. T
• his means that doubling the force doubles the extension, trebling the
force trebles the extension, and so on
Using the sign for proportionality, ∝, we can
write Hooke’s law as

extension ∝ stretching force

It is true only if the elastic limit or ‘limit of proportionality’ of the spring

is not exceeded.
In other words, the spring returns to its original length when the force
is removed.
The force constant or the spring constant
• The force constant, k, of a spring is the force needed to cause unit
extension, i.e. 1 m.
• If a force F produces extension x then
• Hooke’s law also holds when a force is applied to a straight metal wire
or an elastic band, provided they are not permanently stretched.
Limit of proportionality
• The extension is directly proportional to the load applied to the spring
/material .this limit is called as the limit of proportionality.
Elastic limit
• The point at which the maximum load that spring can hold so that it
can return to its original length after the load is removed.

• Beyond this limit the spring /material left permanently stretched or

plastically deformed.
Hooke’s Law
• A material obeys Hooke’s law if beneath its elastic limit , tHe
extension is directly proportional to the load applied .