- #1
wmrunner24
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Homework Statement
A pinball machine launches a 90g ball with a spring driven plunger. The game board is inclined at an angle of 6[tex]\circ[/tex] above the horizontal.
Assume the plunger's mass and frictional effects are negligible. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8m/s2.
Find the force constant k of the spring that will give the ball a speed of 101cm/s when the plunger is released from rest with the spring compressed 4 cm from its relaxed position.
Answer in units of N/m.
Homework Equations
Not too sure, but...
Fg=mgsin[tex]\Theta[/tex]
F=-kx
[tex]\sum[/tex]F=ma
And since I see something about speed in there, I assume we'll need a kinematic equation as well? From what I can tell it looks like:
Vf2=Vi2+2ax
The Attempt at a Solution
To start, everything needs converted from cm to m. Next...I'm guessing what needs done is I need to find the acceleration necessary to get the ball from rest to 1.01m/s within 0.04m. Then once that's been found, would I calculate the net force and solve for k in that equation?