Elastic Potential Energy Calculator

Your details

Pick which quantity to find. The other two become your inputs.
Stiffness of the spring, the force needed per unit of stretch.
How far the spring is stretched or compressed from its relaxed length.
Treat all the stored energy as kinetic energy of a released mass.
Elastic potential energy
1.6J
Spring constant80N/m
Displacement0.2m
Restoring force at x (F = k·x)16N
Energy (alternative units)0.00038kcal
Stored energy (J)1.6
Restoring force (N)16

The spring stores 1.600 joules of elastic potential energy.

  • Elastic potential energy follows U = ½·k·x², where k is stiffness and x is displacement from rest.
  • Energy grows with the SQUARE of displacement, stretch the spring twice as far and it stores four times the energy.
  • Compression stores the same energy as an equal stretch, since x is squared.

Next stepWhen the spring is released this energy converts to kinetic energy, try the kinetic energy calculator to explore the launch.

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