Question

What is the $k$ in Hooke's law?

Answer 1

1. According to Hooke's law, the force $F$ needed to be applied to a spring in order to pull or compress it by a distance of $x$ (from its equilibrium position) is directly proportional to $x$.
2. The mathematical expression from Hooke's law is $F=-kx$. Here, $k$ is the proportionality constant which is known as the spring constant.
3. The spring constant depends on the material and overall structure of the spring.