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Hooke's Law Calculator

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Enter any two of spring constant, displacement, and force - based on Hooke's Law - the third is calculated automatically.

Hooke's Law Calculator

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Force =
30 N
Valid within a spring's elastic limit - beyond that point, the spring deforms permanently and this linear relationship no longer holds.

The formula

Force = Spring constant (k) x Displacement (x)
Example

A spring with a constant of 200 N/m stretched 0.15 m: force = 200 x 0.15 = 30 newtons.

Step-by-step guide

  1. Fill in any two values - spring constant, displacement, or force - and leave the third blank.
  2. Read the calculated result.

What the spring constant actually represents

The spring constant (k) describes a specific spring's inherent stiffness - a higher k means the spring resists stretching or compressing more strongly, requiring more force for the same displacement. It's a fixed physical property of a given spring's material and design, not something that changes with how far you stretch it (as long as you stay within the spring's elastic limit, the range where it can return to its original shape without permanent deformation).

Common mistakes

Applying Hooke's Law beyond a spring's elastic limit - stretch a spring too far and it deforms permanently, at which point this simple linear relationship no longer accurately describes its behavior.
Mixing units - the spring constant is typically in newtons per meter, so displacement should be in meters, not centimeters, unless you adjust the constant to match.

Frequently asked questions

Does Hooke's Law apply to all springs equally?

It applies well to most springs within their elastic range, but each spring has its own unique spring constant based on its material, thickness, and coil design - there's no universal k value shared across all springs.

How do I find a spring's constant if I don't already know it?

Hang a known weight from the spring, measure how far it stretches, and solve for k using this same formula (k = Force / Displacement) - a simple, common way to experimentally determine a spring's constant.

Does Hooke's Law apply to compression as well as stretching?

Yes - the same linear relationship holds for compressing a spring as for stretching it, within the spring's elastic limit in either direction.

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