Find Distance Compressed by Spring w/ Kinetic Friction

In summary, to find the distance a spring is compressed by an object when kinetic friction is involved, you need to use Newton's second principle of dynamics in mathematical form and consider the forces of friction and elastic force. To integrate the resulting ODE equation, the friction force must have a linear dependence on the speed. This can be seen in the example of viscous Stokes forces in fluids. The spring's compression, or amplitude of oscillation, will decrease exponentially with time due to friction, eventually causing the oscillations to stop and the object to come to a halt. However, it is impossible to determine where the object will stop if it is in the "sin/cos" regime of oscillation.
  • #1
senseandsanity
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How do you find the distance a spring is compressed by an object when kinetic friction is involved?
 
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  • #2
senseandsanity said:
How do you find the distance a spring is compressed by an object when kinetic friction is involved?

Write Newton's second principle of dynamics in mathematical form including all the forces (they are only 2:the friction and the elastic force).To integrate the resulting ODE equation,your friction force must depend linearly on the speed (the example of viscous Stokes forces in fluids).From there,u'll find how the spring will oscilate.

The spring's compression understood as the amplitude of oscillation will decrease exponentially with time,so,eventually (for asymptotic times:t->+infinity),due to friction,the oscillations will stop and the body will stop as well.Where??That's impossible to tell,if u're in the "sin/cos" regime of oscillation.
 
  • #3

To find the distance a spring is compressed by an object when kinetic friction is involved, we can use the following equation:

x = (W - μkN) / k

where x is the distance the spring is compressed, W is the weight of the object, μk is the coefficient of kinetic friction, N is the normal force, and k is the spring constant.

First, we need to determine the normal force acting on the object. This can be done by using the equation N = mg, where m is the mass of the object and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

Next, we need to determine the weight of the object, which is simply the mass of the object multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity.

Once we have these values, we can plug them into the equation to find the distance the spring is compressed. The coefficient of kinetic friction, μk, can be found by conducting experiments or by looking it up in a table.

It is important to note that this equation only applies when the object is in motion and experiencing kinetic friction. If the object is at rest, then we need to use the equation for static friction to calculate the distance the spring is compressed.

In summary, to find the distance a spring is compressed by an object when kinetic friction is involved, we need to use the equation x = (W - μkN) / k, where W is the weight of the object, μk is the coefficient of kinetic friction, N is the normal force, and k is the spring constant.
 

What is the formula for finding the distance compressed by a spring with kinetic friction?

The formula for finding the distance compressed by a spring with kinetic friction is d = (W - μkN)x/k, where d is the distance compressed, W is the weight of the object, μk is the coefficient of kinetic friction, N is the normal force, and k is the spring constant.

How do I find the weight of the object in the formula?

The weight of the object can be found by multiplying the mass of the object by the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2). If the mass is given in kilograms, the weight can be calculated by multiplying the mass by 9.8. If the mass is given in pounds, it should be converted to kilograms first before multiplying by 9.8.

What is the significance of the coefficient of kinetic friction in the formula?

The coefficient of kinetic friction represents the amount of friction between two surfaces in motion. It is a unitless value and can range from 0 (no friction) to 1 (high friction). In the formula, a higher μk value would result in a greater distance compressed by the spring.

How do I calculate the normal force in the formula?

The normal force is the force exerted by a surface on an object in contact with it. In this formula, it can be calculated by multiplying the weight of the object by the cosine of the angle between the object and the surface it is on. If the object is on a flat surface, the normal force would be equal to the weight of the object.

Can this formula be used for all types of springs and surfaces?

The formula can be used for most types of springs, including both elastic and inelastic springs. However, it may not be accurate for surfaces with extremely low or high coefficients of kinetic friction. Additionally, the formula assumes that the object is in contact with the surface at all times during the compression, which may not be the case for certain surfaces such as ice or slick materials.

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