Hooke's Law Calculator
Find the force in a spring, its spring constant or how far it stretches with Hooke's law, F = k × x. The calculator also gives the elastic potential energy stored in the spring, a force-extension table and a graph.
Adds the hanging stretch (mg ÷ k) and the bounce period 2π√(m/k)
How to use the Hooke's Law Calculator
- Choose what to solve for: force, spring constant or extension.
- Enter the two known values and choose their units.
- Optionally enter a mass to see how far it stretches the spring and how fast it bounces.
- Read the result, the stored spring energy and the working.
- Use the table and graph to see force and energy at smaller extensions, or download it as CSV.
Hooke's law and spring energy formulas
For an ideal spring the force is proportional to the change in length:
F = k × x k = F ÷ x x = F ÷ k
The energy stored is the area under the straight force-extension line, a triangle: E = ½ k x² = ½ F x. A mass hanging on the spring stretches it by x = m g ÷ k, and it bounces with period T = 2π√(m/k).
Example: a 200 N/m spring stretched 10 cm (0.1 m) pulls back with F = 200 × 0.1 = 20 N and stores E = ½ × 200 × 0.1² = 1 J.
Spring constant unit conversions
| Unit | In N/m |
|---|---|
| 1 N/mm | 1,000 N/m |
| 1 N/cm | 100 N/m |
| 1 kN/m | 1,000 N/m |
| 1 lb/in (lbf/in) | 175.127 N/m |
| 1 lb/ft (lbf/ft) | 14.594 N/m |
Combining springs
- Parallel (side by side, sharing the load): ktotal = k1 + k2 + …
- Series (end to end): 1/ktotal = 1/k1 + 1/k2 + …
- Cutting a spring in half doubles its spring constant, because each half stretches only half as much under the same load.
Hooke's law only holds up to the elastic limit. Past that point, the spring takes a permanent set and the force is no longer proportional to the extension.
Frequently asked questions
What is Hooke's law?
Hooke's law says the force needed to stretch or compress a spring is proportional to the distance it is deformed: F = k × x, where k is the spring constant (stiffness) and x is the extension or compression from the spring's natural length. The spring pulls back with an equal and opposite restoring force, often written F = −kx.
What is the spring constant k?
The spring constant is the force needed per unit of extension, in newtons per metre (N/m). A stiff car suspension spring may be tens of thousands of N/m, while a soft spring in a pen is a few hundred N/m. In the US spring rate is often given in pounds per inch (1 lb/in ≈ 175.13 N/m).
How much energy is stored in a spring?
The elastic potential energy is E = ½ k x². Because it depends on the square of the extension, stretching a spring twice as far stores four times the energy. For k = 200 N/m and x = 0.1 m, E = 0.5 × 200 × 0.01 = 1 J.
How do I find the spring constant experimentally?
Hang known masses on the spring and measure the extension each time. The force is the weight, F = m × g. Plot force against extension: the slope of the straight line is k. This calculator's hanging-mass option does the reverse and predicts the stretch.
Does Hooke's law always apply?
Only within the elastic limit. Beyond it the material deforms permanently and force is no longer proportional to extension. Real springs also have a maximum safe deflection, so treat results near that limit with caution.
How do springs in series and parallel combine?
Springs in parallel add: k = k1 + k2. Springs in series combine like resistors in parallel: 1/k = 1/k1 + 1/k2, so two equal springs in series are half as stiff as one.
What is the period of a mass on a spring?
A mass m on a spring of constant k oscillates with period T = 2π√(m/k), independent of how far you pull it (for small, elastic oscillations). A 1 kg mass on a 100 N/m spring has a period of about 0.628 s.