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wrote:

Hello,

Cannot understand Carr Mc Master 'spring constants' in their spring
section.

They state 'the spring constant is the number of pounds force required
to compress
the spring one inch'

The spring constants being given seem to be far too large.
A long 36 inch spring being made out of 0.013 inch wire has a spring
constant
of 4.8. ie it takes 4.8 pounds to compress the spring one inch.

Where am I going wrong.

TIA.

Jack

Spring constants are dependent on the wire size, coil diameter, number
of coils and material.

A coil spring is really a torsion spring formed in a spiral. When
compressed or extended beyond it's rest length the wire is being
twisted, not bending.

Smaller or fewer coils means that the wire is shorter and must be
twisted more to compress the spring the same distance. Therefore it
would have a higher spring constant.

Fred