Ace the 2025 Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Challenge – Tune Your Gears for Success!

In the spring force formula, 'X' specifically represents the change in spring length, also known as the displacement from its equilibrium position. When a spring is either compressed or stretched, 'X' quantifies this deformation, which is critical for calculating the force exerted by the spring in accordance with Hooke's Law. According to this principle, the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to the displacement, with the proportionality constant being the spring constant. Thus, understanding 'X' as the change in length ensures that one can effectively apply the formula to determine how much force the spring will exert based on how far it has been deformed from its natural length.

The other choices do not accurately describe what 'X' represents in the context of the spring force formula. Friction in the spring does not correlate with the change in length, while the total length of the spring and the mass of the spring are unrelated to the displacement aspect described by 'X'.