Calculating Displacement of a Spring with Two Forces

AI Thread Summary
When a spring is stretched by two forces acting on its ends, both forces create restoring forces in opposite directions. The displacement of the spring can be calculated by considering the net force, which is the vector sum of the two forces. If the forces are equal, the spring will remain in equilibrium; if they differ, the spring will accelerate in the direction of the greater force. Understanding the relationship between these forces is crucial for calculating displacement accurately. This clarification helps in grasping the dynamics of springs under multiple forces.
andreea92
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Homework Statement


My question is what is the displacement of a spring if the spring is stretched by two forces, each acting on an end of it? I've looked on the internet but I've only found examples where the spring is attached to a ceiling.
Are there two restoring forces acting from opposite directions? Is the resultant force their vectorial sum or do I simply add the values?

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



I would really appreciate your help on this matter because this is very confusing to me, although I do understand how it works when one end of the spring is fixed.
I hope I explained this clearly because English isn't my first language and hopefully I didn't mess up any of the physics terminology, and I'm really sorry if I did. Thanks in advance!
 
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A spring in tension (or compression) will always have two forces acting on it. You are familiar with the forces being equal and opposite, but they could be different, in which case, the spring would accelerate.
 
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Thank you so much! I get it now.
 

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