Question

A spring with a constant of `6 (kg)/s^2` is lying on the ground with one end attached to a wall. An object with a mass of `6 kg` and speed of `2 m/s` collides with and compresses the spring until it stops moving. How much will the spring compress?

Answer 1

2m

Explanation:

the Kinetic energy `1/2 m v^2` after the collision and the compressione becomes the elastic energy of the spring `1/2 K X^2`.
so `1/2 m v^2 = 1/2 K X^2` or `m v^2 = K X^2` and resolving for X you have `X= sqrt(m/k) v= sqrt ((6Kg)/(6(Kg)/s^2)) 2m/s= 2m`