Question

If 5.4 J of work is needed to stretch a spring from 15 cm to 21 cm and another 9 J is needed to stretch it from 21 cm to 27 cm, what is the natural length (in cm) of the spring

Answer 1

Answer:

the natural length of the spring is 9 cm

Explanation:

let the natural length of the spring = L

For each of the work done, we set up an integral equation;

$5.4 = \int\limits^{21-l}_{15-l} {kx} \, dx \\\\5.4 = [\frac{1}{2}kx^2 ]^{21-l}_{15-l}\\\\5.4 = \frac{k}{2} [(21-l)^2 - (15-l)^2]\\\\k = \frac{2(5.4)}{(21-l)^2 - (15-l)^2} \ \ \ -----(1)$

The second equation of work done is set up as follows;

$9 = \int\limits^{27-l}_{21-l} {kx} \, dx \\\\9 = [\frac{1}{2}kx^2 ]^{27-l}_{21-l}\\\\9 = \frac{k}{2} [(27-l)^2 - (21-l)^2] \\\\k = \frac{2(9)}{(27-l)^2 - (21-l)^2} \ \ \ -----(2)$

solve equation (1) and equation (2) together;

$\frac{2(9)}{(27-l)^2 - (21-l)^2} = \frac{2(5.4)}{(21-l)^2 - (15-l)^2}\\\\\frac{2(9)}{2(5.4)} = \frac{(27-l)^2 - (21-l)^2}{(21-l)^2 - (15-l)^2}\\\\\frac{9}{5.4} = \frac{(729 - 54l+ l^2) - (441-42l+ l^2)}{(441-42l+ l^2) - (225 -30l+ l^2)} \\\\\frac{9}{5.4 } = \frac{288-12l}{216-12l} \\\\\frac{9}{5.4 } =\frac{12}{12} (\frac{24-l}{18 -l})\\\\\frac{9}{5.4 } = \frac{24-l}{18 -l}\\\\9(18-l) = 5.4(24-l)\\\\162-9l = 129.6-5.4l\\\\162-129.6 = 9l - 5.4 l\\\\32.4 = 3.6 l\\\\l = \frac{32.4}{3.6}$

$l = 9 \ cm$

Therefore, the natural length of the spring is 9 cm