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Formal Definition Of Hooke’s Law

Hooke's Law states that the ability to stretch the elastic material is proportional to the forces restored in the object. This article discusses Hooke's Law in detail.

The law of elasticity was discovered by the scientist Robert Hooke in 1660. Hooke’s Law states that applied force is directly proportional to the spring constant and deformation of spring. Under the elastic limit, the object returns to its original shape and size when the load is removed from the object. Hooke’s Law is the relationship between the strain deformation and the stress that is applied force.

Hooke’s Law applies not only to springs, as discussed above, but also to elastic, rubber, and metal sheets. Some important examples that obey Hooke’s Law are gun’s recoil (toy), nanometers, guitar strings, and rubber bands.

Definition of Hooke’s Law

Hooke’s Law states that for relatively small deformations of an object, the displacement or size of the deformation is directly proportional to the deforming force or load.

The Hooke’s Law formula is 

F=-K x

Where F is restoring force

K is the spring constant 

x is the deformation of spring

What are the indications for the negative sign before Hooke’s Law formula?

The negative sign before the formula indicates that the restoring force due to the spring is opposite to the force that caused the displacement. So what is a restoring force? The restoring force is the force that is stored in the elastic object when it is stretched to deform the shape. 

Application of Hooke’s Law in Daily Life 

Hooke’s Law applies to many elastic materials where the material deforms. Some of the basic examples of Hooke’s Law are:-

  • Playing the strings of the guitar. When it pulls up, it will regain its original shape. This playing of the string depends on Hooke’s Law.
  • The use of spring chairs and the car seat are examples based on the application of Hooke’s Law.
  • It also works in the engineering field as this law helps detect earthquake and tsunami waves.
  • This law helps detect the mechanical waves of solid, liquid, and gases, including vibration, ultrasound, and infrasound. 
  • The principle behind the instrument is like galvanometers, nanometers, spring scales, and manometers.

Limitations of Hooke’s Law

Hooke’s Law has its advantages and disadvantages. While some benefits have been discussed above, let’s now look at some of the limitations of Hooke’s Law. 

 

  • Hooke’s Law only applies to elastic materials and is not universal. 
  • Hooke’s Law is applicable only if a slight object deformation occurs. 
  • Hooke’s Law only applies to the materials as long as they aren’t stretched way past their capacity.

Explanation of Hooke’s Law

Hooke’s Law is expressed as follows:-

F= -km. 

Where F is the restoring force 

x is the displacement of the spring 

k is the spring constant 

Hooke’s Law states that restoring force is directly proportional to the spring’s displacement. When the spring is compressed, the coordinate of displacement x is negative. It is zero when the spring is at its average length.

Spring constant is different for different objects depending upon the dimension and object type. It is calculated by dividing the applied force by the displacement of the thing, which is k=f/x.

Conclusion

The law of elasticity was discovered by the scientist Robert Hooke in 1660. Hooke’s Law states that applied force is directly proportional to the spring constant and deformation of spring. The article discusses the definition of Hooke’s Law, the Hooke’s Law formula, and its applications in daily life. It also talks about the disadvantages of Hooke’s Law. It also explains how one can individually find out the value for the spring constant by using the derivative formula of Hooke’s Law. 

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