someone good in physics?

Question

can someone explain what a spring constant is and what the difference is between a small one and a big one?

Answer 1

The spring constant simply tells you how "springy" a spring is. The greater the constant, the greater the force required to compress the spring (and the greater the force exerted by the spring when it's compressed).

Let's compare two springs: one is the kind you find in a retractable pen; the other is the kind you might find in a mattress.

Spring 1: If you disassemble the pen, you'll notice that the spring is made from a thin wire. If you try to compress the spring, you can exert enough force with your thumb and forefinger to get the job done. This one has the lesser spring constant.

Spring 2: If you were to see the inside of a mattress, you would see that the springs are made from larger wire. In order to get these springs to compress, you would need more force than what you could provide with your thumb and forefinger. This one has the greater spring constant.

HOOKE'S LAW (Hooke was a 17th-century physicist):

F = kx, where k is the spring constant. It shows that force (F) and distance (x) are directly proportional in a spring. Using the above illustration, if the same force were applied to both the pen spring and the mattress spring, which would compress more?

Right, the pen spring. Thus the greater the spring constant, the more force is required to compress the spring by the same distance (x).

I hope this was helpful. Good luck.

Answer 2

A spring constant is a parameter that relates the force required to compress a spring to the compressed distance
F=k*x
where
F is the force
k is the spring constant
x is the compressed distance

with this basic equation, other relationships can be derived, such as the energy stored in the spring:
PE=.5*k*x^2

Most Newtonian spring problems are most easily solved using energy relationships.

A big k means a very stiff spring, which in turn means more force is required to compress the spring and the spring will store more energy per unit length of compression.

One note: Spring constants and the related equations are ideal approximations. The most notable sources of error include: compression to where the spring coils contact each other, or stretching beyond the linear range; and material imperfections or non-uniformity. Also, springs can suffer metal fatigue, resulting in weaker k over time or breakage.

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