B Calculating Force of Ball-Spring Collision

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To calculate the force of a ball-spring collision, one must consider the mass of the ball and the spring constant. The force can be determined using F = dp/dt, but requires knowledge of the time duration of the collision. Clarification is needed on whether the maximum force, average force, or a function of force over time is desired for the calculation. Understanding the specifics of the collision dynamics will influence the approach to solving the problem. Accurate calculations depend on these parameters and definitions.
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Let's assume I have a ball moving at a constant velocity and it collides with a spring and the spring compresses n cm. If I know how much mass the ball has and the spring constant D, how would I calculate the Force? I mean since F = dp/dt I would have to know the time in which the stopping occured. How can I solve this?
 
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Do you want the maximum force, the average force (time-averaged, or distance-averaged), or the function ##F(t)##?
 
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Thread 'The rocket equation, one more time'

Thread 'The rocket equation, one more time'

I already posted a similar thread a while ago, but this time I want to focus exclusively on one single point that is still not clear to me. I just came across this problem again in Modern Classical Mechanics by Helliwell and Sahakian. Their setup is exactly identical to the one that Taylor uses in Classical Mechanics: a rocket has mass m and velocity v at time t. At time ##t+\Delta t## it has (according to the textbooks) velocity ##v + \Delta v## and mass ##m+\Delta m##. Why not ##m -...
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