Recent content by bc2man

Thank you soo much god tripp and Doc... I think I'm on the right path to understanding these questions now. In terms of the answer, I got 3.04m for the h value. This has to be right, although the picture doesn't represent it too well...I guess my professor is trying to throw us off with...

so we're starting with just spring potential?? I take it the equation might look something along the lines of (1/2)kx^1 (of spring 1) = (1/2)kx^2 (of spring 2) +mg(h-6.7m) ??

Ok... so I KNOW spring potential is (1/2)kx^2 but I'm confused on how to incorporate it into the above equation... would it be something like mgy_i + (1/2)kx^2 = mgy_f ? Or is it two (1/2)kx^2 terms because of the 2nd spring? I tried this out and I got a rediculously high final delta_y...

Energy is conserved. My bad. I'm not sure which equation to use then? I have something written in my notes to the effect of: mgy_i + (1/2)mv_i^2 = mgy_f + fk(s) I'm not sure what s stands for but it cancels anyway (fk is 0...system is frictionless). the (1/2)mv_i^2 term also cancels as...

Homework Statement 3.5 kg box is launched from a spring that has spring constant 1200 N/m. The spring is initially compressed by an amount 1.7 m. The box slides along the frictionless track shown below and into a second spring that has a spring constant 900 N/m. It compresses the spring by an...