Question

A horizontal spring with spring constant 85 n/m extends outward from a wall just above floor level. a 3.5 kg box sliding across a frictionless floor hits the end of the spring and compresses it 6.5 cm before the spring expands and shoots the box back out. how fast was the box going when it hit the spring?

Answer 1

k = spring constant of the spring = 85 N/m

m = mass of the box sliding towards the spring = 3.5 kg

v = speed of box just before colliding with the spring = ?

x = compression the spring = 6.5 cm = 6.5 cm (1 m /100 cm) = 0.065 m

the kinetic energy of box just before colliding with the spring converts into the spring energy of the spring when it is fully compressed.

Using conservation of energy

Kinetic energy of spring before collision = spring energy of spring after compression

(0.5) m v² = (0.5) k x²

m v² = k x²

inserting the values

(3.5 kg) v² = (85 N/m) (0.065 m)²

v = 0.32 m/s