What characterizes coil springs?

[alingy1]

I have to write a lab report on coil springs and what characterizes them. So, I decided to use several different coil springs. I hanged different weights on them. I proved Hooke's law. But, I think there is something missing. The teacher asked me to say what characterizes springs. I don't understand what has an influence on the ''k'' constant. I know it is related to the stiffness of the spring, but what in the spring makes it stiffer and less likely to stretch? I tried looking up on Google, no result. All I could find was Young's modulus, but it seems too complicated for someone in grade 11.

 

[SammyS]

I have to write a lab report on coil springs and what characterizes them. So, I decided to use several different coil springs. I hanged different weights on them. I proved Hooke's law. But, I think there is something missing. The teacher asked me to say what characterizes springs. I don't understand what has an influence on the ''k'' constant. I know it is related to the stiffness of the spring, but what in the spring makes it stiffer and less likely to stretch? I tried looking up on Google, no result. All I could find was Young's modulus, but it seems too complicated for someone in grade 11.

There are some good Wikipedia articles on springs.

Here's a link to one. Also, look up Hooke's law on Wikipedia.

 

[PhanthomJay]

The spring constant k of a coiled spring depends on a number of factors, like the material used and diameter of the coiled rods and such. You might want to conceptualize what happens to the stiffness of a spring if you use thicker rods , or steel instead of aluminum, or if you cut the spring in half.