Restoring force

A force that tends to return a displaced system toward equilibrium. Its direction opposes displacement, and its magnitude often depends on how far the system has moved.

Hooke's law: A relation stating that an ideal spring’s force is proportional to its displacement and opposite in direction. It gives the simplest quantitative model of a restoring force.
Stable equilibrium: An equilibrium in which small displacements produce effects that tend to return a system to its original state. A restoring force is the defining response of a stable equilibrium.
Mass-spring system: A mechanical system in which a mass moves under the force exerted by an attached spring. The spring supplies a direct, adjustable example of a restoring force.
Damping force: A force that opposes motion and dissipates mechanical energy. Unlike a restoring force, it depends on velocity and suppresses oscillation.
Simple harmonic motion: Periodic motion in which acceleration is proportional to displacement and directed toward equilibrium. A restoring force proportional to displacement produces this characteristic motion.
Displacement: A change in position represented by a vector from an initial point to a final point. The restoring force is directed in relation to the displacement from equilibrium.
Acoustic wave: A pressure disturbance that propagates through a material medium by coordinated particle motion. Elastic restoring forces in the medium help neighboring particles transmit sound.
Driving force: An external force that supplies energy to a system and can sustain or alter its motion. A driving force can reinforce oscillations rather than return the system to equilibrium.
Potential energy: Energy associated with an object's position or configuration in a force field. A restoring force can arise from a potential that increases away from equilibrium.
Force: An interaction that can change an object's motion, represented in classical mechanics by a vector. A restoring force is one particular role a force can play.

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