Calculating Spring Constant and Energy: A Practical Guide

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem involving a mass-spring system, where a .20-kg mass is attached to a spring and the potential energy changes as the mass is released. The participants are exploring the relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy in the context of conservative forces.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are attempting to understand how to calculate the spring constant and potential energy without knowing the distance the spring is compressed or stretched. Questions about the conservation of energy and the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy are also raised.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different aspects of energy conservation and the implications of conservative forces. Some guidance has been offered regarding the use of total energy at different points in the system, but no consensus has been reached on the specific calculations needed.

Contextual Notes

There is an emphasis on the conservation of energy within the system, and participants are considering the implications of known potential energy values at different points without having the distance information for the spring.

laxboi33
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A .20- kg mass attached to a spring is pulled back horizontally across a table so that the potential energy of the system is increased from zero to 120 J. Ignoring friction, what is the kinetic energy of the system after the mass is released and has moved to a point where the potential energy has decreased to 80 J.



PE= 1/2 k*x^2
KE= 1/2 m*v^2
F= -kx


How would I find the spring constant or PE without the distance of the spring?
 
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What is the change in potential energy converted into?
 
Consider the following:
All the forces in the system are conservative.

What fundamental quantity is conserved?
 
laxboi33 said:
How would I find the spring constant or PE without the distance of the spring?

You are told what the potential energy is at each point, so you don't need to know how it was calculated. Just write down the total energy at each point in the most general terms possible, and go from there.
 

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