How Does Hooke's Law Help Calculate Spring Length for Weight Drops?

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To determine the appropriate length of a spring for a specific weight drop, Hooke's Law can be applied alongside the principle of conservation of energy. The gravitational potential energy (mgh) of the weight can be equated to the elastic potential energy of the spring when stretched. By knowing the weight and the desired drop length, one can calculate the necessary spring constant through experimentation. This approach allows for precise calculations to ensure the weight drops without hitting the ground, similar to bungee jumping dynamics. Understanding these principles is essential for accurate spring length determination.
cman
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I'm trying to figure out how to determine how long a spring should be to drop a known weight a known length? For example...10 foot drop, 1 lb weight, and I pick up a flexible spring from the hardware store (spring constant to be determined by Hooke's law experimentation), should I not be able to determine how long a spring to cut to just make the 1 lb weight drop to but not hit the floor?...much like a bungee question.
 
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Have you learned about conservation of energy in a physics class? You can equate the gravitational potential energy mgh with the potential energy of a stretched spring.
 

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