A spring with a constant of #1# #kgs^-2# is lying on the ground with one end attached to a wall. An object with a mass of #8# #kg# and speed of #3# #ms^-1# collides with and compresses the spring until it stops moving. How much will the spring compress?
1 Answer
Feb 4, 2016
In this instance kinetic energy is converted into spring potential energy. The spring compresses by
Explanation:
The initial kinetic energy of the moving mass is given by:
All of this energy (we are assuming no friction) will be converted to spring potential energy in the spring, according to the equation:
We can rearrange this to make