To calculate the spring force constant k, the conservation of energy principle is applied, equating the gravitational potential energy of the dropped ball to the elastic potential energy stored in the spring at maximum compression. For the 86.3g ball dropped from 52.3cm, the energy conversion leads to the formula k = (m*g*h) / (0.5*x^2), where m is the mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, h is the height, and x is the maximum compression of the spring. A similar scenario with a 135g ball dropped from 62cm can be analyzed using the same method, adjusting the values accordingly. The calculated spring constant k will be expressed in units of N/m. This approach effectively demonstrates the relationship between gravitational force and spring compression.
