How Is the Mass of a Block Determined When It Compresses a Spring?

Thread starter dorian_stokes
Start date Oct 18, 2009
Tags

Block Spring

AI Thread Summary

To determine the mass of a block compressing a spring, the conservation of energy principle is applied, equating kinetic energy to spring potential energy. The equation used is 0.5mv^2 = 0.5kx^2, where k is the spring constant and x is the compression distance. The block's speed before impact is 3.5 m/s, and the spring constant is 31 N/m with a compression of 0.11 m. It is crucial to square both the speed and the compression in the calculations. The correct mass can be found by rearranging the equation and substituting the given values.

Oct 18, 2009

dorian_stokes

Homework Statement

A block is dropped onto a spring with k = 31 N/m. The block has a speed of 3.5 m/s just before it strikes the spring. If the spring compresses an amount 0.11 m before bringing the block to rest, what is the mass of the block?

Homework Equations

0.5mv^2=0.5kx^2

The Attempt at a Solution

0.5m3.5=0.5*31*.11

Physics news on Phys.org

Oct 18, 2009

Delphi51

Homework Helper

Looks like you forgot to square the 3.5 and the .11.

Thread 'Rolling without slipping on a curved surface'

Kindly see the attached pdf. My attempt to solve it, is in it. I'm wondering if my solution is right. My idea is this: At any point of time, the ball may be assumed to be at an incline which is at an angle of θ(kindly see both the pics in the pdf file). The value of θ will continuously change and so will the value of friction. I'm not able to figure out, why my solution is wrong, if it is wrong .

View full post »

Thread 'I've come across another fluid pressure problem I don't understand'

Neglect gravity other than that of water; neglect friction. F1=ρgsh=1000*10*1*(1+4)=50000 N; F1=ρgsh=1000*10*0.1*4=4000 N; F3=50000-4000=46000 N?

View full post »

Thread 'Struggling to understand the concept of this question (ice cube in water optics question)'

TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...

View full post »