- #1
Spartan Erik
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Homework Statement
A 2.0 kg mass is attached to one end of an ideal spring with a spring constant of 500 N/m and a 4.0 kg mass is attached to the other end. The masses are placed on a horizontal frictionless surface and the spring is compressed 10 cm from its equilibrium length. The spring is then released with the masses at rest and the masses begin to move apart. When the spring has reached its equilibrium length, what is the speed of the 2.0 kg mass?
0.67, 1.0, 1.3, 2.1, none of these (all in m/s)
Homework Equations
Hooke's law: F = -kx
W(spring): 1/2kx(initial)^2 - 1/2kx(final)^2
W(applied): -W(spring) if stationary before/after displacement
The Attempt at a Solution
I don't know how I can utilize this data and relate it to velocity