Finding velocity when a mass suspended from a spring passes through equilibrium

AI Thread Summary
A 1kg mass is suspended from a spring with a spring constant of 100 N/m and is compressed 10 cm before being released. The potential energy stored in the spring is calculated using the formula PEelastic = 1/2kx^2, resulting in 5000 J. Since energy is conserved, this potential energy converts to kinetic energy (KE) at the equilibrium position, where KE = PEelastic. To find the velocity, the kinetic energy formula KE = 1/2mv^2 can be used. By equating the two energies, the velocity of the block at equilibrium can be determined.
MRM
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
A 1kg mass is suspended from a vertical spring with a spring constant of 100 N/m and the equilibrium position is noted. The spring is then pushed upward (compressed) a distance x=10 cm before the mass is released from rest. How fast will the block be moving when it passes through the equilibrium position?


PEelastic=1/2kx^2
KE=1/2mv^2




I honestly have no idea what I'm doing. I used the equation above and got: 1/2(100)(10)^2 which equals 5000, but I'm honestly not sure what to do after I get the PEelastic (or if I'm even supposed to solve for that). I think if I could figure out KE, I could solve for velocity, but I'm not sure how to solve for kinetic energy...any help in the right direction would be great...
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You are going in the right direction by finding PEelastic. By doing this you also found KE since KE=PEelastic so from there you just plug it into the equation.
 
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 .
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...
Back
Top