Hooke's law
Ley de Hooke de la elasticidad
- Date
- 1660 (publicada 1678) · confidence high
- Place
- London, England, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- Robert Hooke
- People
- 👤 Robert Hooke1635–1703
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
The deformation of an elastic body is proportional to the applied force ('ut tensio, sic vis'). It founds the theory of elasticity and quantitative materials science.
Published as an anagram in 1660 and deciphered in 1678.
What it led to
- Theory of elasticity (Young, Cauchy, Navier)
- Strength of materials and structural engineering
- Harmonic oscillator as a universal model
- Mechanics of solids
Built on
- Studies of clock springs
- Statics of Archimedes and Galileo
Made possible
- Balance spring (hairspring)1675
- Kolosov-Muskhelishvili complex potentials in plane elasticity1909 (Kolosov) / 1933 (Muskhelishvili)
- Clockwork coil spring
- Dynamometer
- Seismographs and spring balances