Hooke's law

1 5.1

A physics rule that a solid stretches more when you put more force on it, up to a limit

noun
/hʊks lɔ/

Specialized

: ley de Hooke

According to Hooke's law, a spring's extension is directly proportional to the force applied to it.

Examples

The experiment demonstrated the limits of Hooke's law when the material was stretched beyond its elastic region.
Engineers use Hooke's law to calculate how materials will deform under stress.
According to Hooke's law, the extension of a spring is proportional to the force applied.
Many engineers rely on Hooke's law when designing elastic materials.
According to Hooke's law, a spring's extension is directly proportional to the force applied to it.
Engineers use Hooke's law to calculate how materials will deform under stress.
Many engineers rely on Hooke's law when designing elastic materials.

Surface Forms

Hooke's law singular

Morphology

Hooke's + law

Hooke's law is an eponymous scientific term: 'Hooke's' indicates association with a person and 'law' signals a general scientific principle, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would infer it is a named physical law but not its specific content. The precise technical meaning (the proportionality between stress and strain within the elastic limit) cannot be derived from the words alone and requires subject knowledge, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Hooke's law is named after the scientist Hooke, who found that a spring's stretch grows in direct proportion to the pull on it. Imagine pulling a spring twice as hard and it stretches about twice as much — this clear image is why the idea is called a 'law' for a simple, reliable rule.