spring rate
Quick Summary
The spring rate is a measure of how much a spring deflects under a given load. It is defined as the load in pounds divided by the deflection of the spring in inches. A soft spring has a low rate and deflects more than a stiff spring under the same load. This concept is related to Hooke's law, which states that the stretching of a solid body is proportional to the force applied to it. Springs are elastic machine components that store energy when deflected and return to their original shape when unloaded. They are used in various applications, such as automobile suspension systems, clocks, and watches.123
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
