Apply Hooke’s law to relate spring force, stiffness and displacement.
Hooke’s law is a linear approximation that holds only while deformation is elastic. Beyond the elastic limit the material yields and the relationship breaks down entirely. Designing a spring close to its elastic limit risks permanent set, where it never returns to its original free length.
Hooke’s Law
F = k x, valid only below the elastic limit
F = k x, valid only below the elastic limit Hooke’s law is a linear approximation that holds only while deformation is elastic. Beyond the elastic limit the material yields and the relationship breaks down entirely.
Designing a spring close to its elastic limit risks permanent set, where it never returns to its original free length.
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Spring constant, Displacement from rest, Elastic limit displacement. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.