How Far Will the Spring Stretch Beyond Equilibrium in Its First Swing?

[Joyce]

Spring Equilibrium -- Need help! :(

Hi i have this question:

A 200 g wood block is firmly attached to a horizontal spring. The block can slide along a tbale where the coefficient of friction is 0.40. A force of 10 N compresses the string 18 cm. If the spring is released from this position, how far beyond its equilibrium will it stretch in its first swing?

Does anyone think they can help me get started on this cause I'm pretty clueless!

thx!

 

[JFo]

try using a conservation of energy aproach.

KE_i + PE_i + W = KE_f + PE_f

Some questions that you will need to answer before you do this:
1) What is the equation for the potential energy of a mass on a spring?
2) What is the equation for the work done by friction as the block moves along the table?
3) What is the definition of the spring constant (k)?

 

[thepatientmental]

Hi there,

Sure, I can try to help you with this question. Let's break it down step by step.

First, we need to understand what is meant by "equilibrium". In physics, equilibrium refers to a state where all forces acting on an object are balanced, resulting in no acceleration. In this case, we are looking for the equilibrium position of the spring, where the force from the spring is equal and opposite to the force from gravity.

Next, we need to use the information given to us. We know that the block has a mass of 200 g, the coefficient of friction is 0.40, and the force applied to compress the spring is 10 N. We also know that the spring is compressed 18 cm.

We can start by finding the force from gravity acting on the block. This can be calculated using the formula F = mg, where m is the mass and g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2). In this case, the force from gravity is 0.2 kg x 9.8 m/s^2 = 1.96 N.

Now, let's consider the forces acting on the spring. We have the force from gravity pulling the block down, and the force from the spring pushing the block up. The force from the spring can be calculated using Hooke's law, F = kx, where k is the spring constant and x is the displacement from the equilibrium position. We can rearrange this equation to solve for x, which gives us x = F/k. We know that the force from the spring is 10 N and we can find the spring constant by using the given information that the spring is compressed 18 cm. We can convert this to meters (0.18 m) and use the equation k = F/x. This gives us a spring constant of 55.56 N/m.

Now, we can use this spring constant to find the equilibrium position of the spring. Since we know that the force from the spring is equal and opposite to the force from gravity, we can set these two forces equal to each other: Fg = Fs. This gives us the equation mg = kx. Plugging in the values we know, we get 0.2 kg x 9.8 m/s^2 = 55.56 N/m x x. Solving for x, we get x = 0.035 m or 3.