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Restoring force

 

 
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Restoring force
 
 
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Restoring force, in a physics
Physics

Physics is the natural science which examines basic concepts such as energy, force, and spacetime and all that derives from these, such as mass, charge, matter and its Motion ....
 context, is a variable force
Force

In physics, a force is that which can cause an object with mass to change its velocity. Force has both Euclidean_vector#Length of a vector and Direction , making it a Vector quantity....
 that gives rise to an equilibrium
Mechanical equilibrium

A standard definition of is:This is a strict definition, and often the term "static equilibrium" is used in a more relaxed manner interchangeably with "mechanical equilibrium", as defined next....
 in a physical system. If the system is perturbed away from the equilibrium, the restoring force will tend to bring the system back toward equilibrium.

An example is the action of a spring
Spring (device)

A spring is an Elasticity object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of hardened steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealing steel and hardened after fabrication....
: an idealized spring exerts a force that is proportional to the amount of deformation of the spring. Pulling the spring to a longer configuration causes it to exert a force that brings the spring back toward its equilibrium length.






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Restoring force, in a physics
Physics

Physics is the natural science which examines basic concepts such as energy, force, and spacetime and all that derives from these, such as mass, charge, matter and its Motion ....
 context, is a variable force
Force

In physics, a force is that which can cause an object with mass to change its velocity. Force has both Euclidean_vector#Length of a vector and Direction , making it a Vector quantity....
 that gives rise to an equilibrium
Mechanical equilibrium

A standard definition of is:This is a strict definition, and often the term "static equilibrium" is used in a more relaxed manner interchangeably with "mechanical equilibrium", as defined next....
 in a physical system. If the system is perturbed away from the equilibrium, the restoring force will tend to bring the system back toward equilibrium.

An example is the action of a spring
Spring (device)

A spring is an Elasticity object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of hardened steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealing steel and hardened after fabrication....
: an idealized spring exerts a force that is proportional to the amount of deformation of the spring. Pulling the spring to a longer configuration causes it to exert a force that brings the spring back toward its equilibrium length. The amount of force can be determined by multiplying the spring constant of the spring by the amount of stretch.

Restoring forces do not necessarily cancel out a perturbation entirely. For example, taut piano
Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
 strings have a strong restoring force that gives rise to an equilibrium when the string is straight. A struck piano string does not return directly to the straight equilibrium; rather, it oscillates, causing the piano to emit a particular musical note.