How Do Coil Springs Work?
Coil springs–which find widespread applications in car suspension systems and weighing scales, to name but a few–basically work by resisting their extension (stretching) or compression, and thereby absorbing mechanical energy, storing it and later releasing it. Extension Weighing scales are an example of coil springs resisting extension. Here, the layers of the helix (the coils of the spring) are wound very close together (actually touching each other), and it takes some force to pull them apart, a force that they resist. Experiments have shown that spring coils’ extension, that is, how much they ultimately get stretched, is directly proportional to how much force is applied in an attempt to pull them apart. This force is, in turn, directly proportional to the weight of the material that is being applied to one end of the coil (normally through a hook) in attempt to pull them apart. Given the fact that the extension produced is directly proportional to the weight of the material at t
