Hooke's Law (Robert Hooke)

Hooke's Law, formulated by Robert Hooke, states that the force needed to stretch or compress a spring is directly proportional to the distance it is stretched or compressed, as long as the material remains within its elastic limit. Mathematically, it is expressed as F = kx, where F is the force applied, x is the displacement from the rest position, and k is a constant called the stiffness or spring constant. This principle explains how elastic materials return to their original shape after being deformed, provided the force does not exceed their elastic limit.