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compression spring force and active coils 1

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durablack2

Automotive
Jun 25, 2013
58
US
If you have two compression springs and everything is the same except number of active coils, which will take more force to compress? The one with more coils or one with less coils?

Take for example:
Spring 1= 6 inch long, 1in outer diameter, 0.1" wire diameter, 10 active coils - compress 2 inches
Spring 2= 6 inch long, 1in outer diameter, 0.1" wire diameter, 8 active coils - compress 2 inches

Everthing I find (spring creator tools, equations, etc) says that spring 2 would take more force to compress, although I am not understanding why and feel spring 1 with more coils should take more force to compress? What logic / theory am I not understanding?

(equation - k = gd^4/(8nD^3) where n= number of active coils

(spring creator tool)
 
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If you compress these from 6" free length to say 4".
In spring #1 each turn is being loaded with 0.2" of compression.
In spring #2 each turn will be loaded with 0.25" of compression.
So the coils will be resisting more deflection in spring #2 giving a higher force.
And remember in a coil spring all of the defection is seen as torsion in the wire.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed
 
Makes perfect sense! Thank you Ed. Knew there was some fundamental thing I was missing..
 
Imagine the springs uncoiled and the same angle twist applied to each. The torque to twist the longer wire will be less than that to twist the shorter wire.

Ted
 
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