Calculating Work on a Compressed Spring

In summary, a force of 1100 lb compresses a spring from 17in to 14in. When compressed from 14in to 9in, the work done is approximately 10084.25 in-lb, with the closest answer being c).
  • #1
kari82
37
0
I'm not able to get any of the multiple choice answers. Please help.

a force of 1100 lb compresses a spring from its natural length of 17in to a length of 14in. How much work is done in compressing it from 14in to 9in?

a)4600
b)0.075
c)10000
d)20000

What i did was F(x)=kx => 1100=3k => k=366.7

W=∫366.7x dx from x=3 to x=8, which equals 10084.25

is this answer correct?
 
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  • #2
I get 10,083.3 (in-lb), which is close to what you got. My answer differs from yours because I didn't round 1100/3.

The answer closest to this is c, for what it's worth.
 
  • #3
thanks!
 

What is the equation for work on a spring?

The equation for work on a spring is W = 1/2kx^2, where W is the work done, k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement of the spring from its equilibrium position.

What is the relationship between work and spring constant?

The work done on a spring is directly proportional to the spring constant. This means that as the spring constant increases, the amount of work done on the spring also increases.

How does displacement affect the work done on a spring?

The work done on a spring is directly proportional to the square of the displacement. This means that as the displacement increases, the amount of work done on the spring also increases.

What are the units for work on a spring?

The units for work on a spring are joules (J) or newton-meters (N*m).

How does the direction of the force affect the work done on a spring?

The direction of the force does not affect the work done on a spring. Work is a scalar quantity and is only dependent on the magnitude of the force and the displacement of the spring.

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