Determine spring stiffness from force and deflection, and combine springs in series or parallel.
Stiffness is force per unit deflection. Springs in parallel share the load and add their rates; in series they carry the same load and each deflects, so the combination is softer than the softest one. Series and parallel combination rules for springs are the mechanical mirror of resistors in electrical circuits, but with the roles reversed.
Spring Constant
k = F ÷ x; parallel springs add, series springs combine as 1/k = 1/k₁ + 1/k₂
k = F ÷ x; parallel springs add, series springs combine as 1/k = 1/k₁ + 1/k₂ Stiffness is force per unit deflection. Springs in parallel share the load and add their rates; in series they carry the same load and each deflects, so the combination is softer than the softest one.
Series and parallel combination rules for springs are the mechanical mirror of resistors in electrical circuits, but with the roles reversed.
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Force applied, Deflection produced, Second spring constant for combining. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.