Question

What is spring constant?

Answer 1

Springs are elastic, which means after they are deformed (when they are being stressed or compressed), they return to their original shape. According to the Third Law of Motion, the harder you pull on a spring, the harder it pulls back. Springs obey Hooke’s Law which is described by:
F = - kx
Where F is the force exerted on the spring in Newtons (N).
The minus sign shows that this force is in the opposite direction of the force that’s stretching or compressing the spring.
k is the spring constant, in Newtons per meter (N/m),
and x is the displacement of the spring from its equilibrium position.
The spring constant, k, is representative of how stiff the spring is. Stiffer (more difficult to stretch) springs have higher spring constants. The displacement of an object is a distance measurement that describes that change from the normal, or equilibrium, position.