How to determine length of a spring

AI Thread Summary
To determine the length of a spring without visual information, one can use the spring rate and the change in object position from uncoiled to fully coiled states. Hooke's Law may not yield accurate results if the system is dampened, as it primarily applies to ideal springs. The resistance rates of compression and rebound can also affect calculations, complicating the determination of spring length. It may be necessary to consider additional factors such as the damping characteristics and the specific application context. Accurate measurements or further data may be required for a reliable calculation.
Nicholas Morse
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Hi Everyone,

Kind of a tough question here. How do I determine the length of a spring if we don't have any visual information about it? All we have is the spring rate & change of object position from when the spring is uncoiled, to fully coiled.

Anyone have any ideas on this? I tried the hooke's law formula but it gave me some goofy length equations which wouldn't make sense.
 
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Also, the system is dampened and we have the resistance rates of the compression and rebound resistance.
 

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