Determining Compression of a Spring involving Spring Constants

In summary, to find the amount of compression of the spring, you can use the equation F=kx or E=1/2kx^2. Since no acceleration, displacement, or time interval is given, you can use the elastic potential energy of the spring when compressed to calculate the kinetic energy of the marble. Using the equation 1/2mv^2=1/2kx^2, you can solve for x and find that the spring was compressed by 8.9 cm. However, it should be noted that the initial velocity of the marble was 40 cm/s, not 40 m/s.
  • #1
gomess
14
0

Homework Statement


A 10g marble is launched horizontally from a spring of K = 20 N/m. If the marble ended up with a launch speed of 40m/sec, how much (in cm) was the spring compressed by?

Homework Equations



[itex]F=kx[/itex]
[itex]E=\frac{1}{2}kx^2[/itex]

The Attempt at a Solution


To find how much the spring was compressed by, I know that you must solve for x in either equation. But I am unsure what values F or E would be. F =ma, but no acceleration, displacement, or time interval is given. ΔE= FΔd, but still force is required.
 
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  • #2
The elastic potential energy of the spring when compressed to a distance 'x' will be converted into kinetic energy.

Do you know how to find the kinetic energy of an object given its mass and velocity?
 
  • #3
[itex]\frac{1}{2}mv^2 = \frac{1}{2}kx^2[/itex]

[itex](0.01)(0.4)^2 = 20x^2[/itex]

[itex]0.0089 m = x[/itex]

[itex]8.9 cm = x[/itex]

I wrote that the initial velocity was 40m/s, should have been 40cm/s. Would this solution be correct though?
 

Related to Determining Compression of a Spring involving Spring Constants

1. How do you determine the compression of a spring?

The compression of a spring can be determined by measuring the change in length of the spring when a force is applied to it. This change in length is known as the displacement and can be measured using a ruler or caliper.

2. What is a spring constant?

A spring constant is a measure of the stiffness of a spring. It is represented by the letter 'k' and is calculated by dividing the force applied to the spring by the displacement of the spring.

3. How do you calculate the spring constant?

The spring constant can be calculated by dividing the applied force by the displacement of the spring. This can be represented by the equation k = F/x, where k is the spring constant, F is the applied force, and x is the displacement of the spring.

4. What units are used to measure the spring constant?

The spring constant is typically measured in units of newtons per meter (N/m). However, depending on the specific context, it can also be measured in other units such as pounds per inch (lb/in) or kilograms per centimeter (kg/cm).

5. How does the spring constant affect the compression of a spring?

The spring constant directly affects the compression of a spring. The higher the spring constant, the stiffer the spring and the less it will compress for a given force. Conversely, a lower spring constant will result in a more compressed spring for the same force.

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