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fluidistic
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Homework Statement
Check out the figure I made up to get the situation of the problem.
It's a body of mass [tex]m[/tex] that is at point [tex]a[/tex] and that we let go down on (due to gravity) the inclinated plane until it reaches a spring (with an elastic constant [tex]k[/tex]) at point [tex]b[/tex]. Before the spring get hitten by the body, it has a length [tex]l[/tex].
a)What is the minimal height (calculated from the ground) the body will reach?
b)Calculate the speed of the body just before it hits the spring at point [tex]b[/tex].
c)After having hit the spring, the body is encrusted into the spring. Write down and solve the equation of the movement of the body with respect to a coordinates system with its origin at the equilibrium point.
Homework Equations
,The Attempt at a Solution
I worked out the equation of conservation of energy to be [tex]E=\frac{1}{2}mv^2+\frac{1}{2}k(x-x_{equilibrium})^2-\sin (\alpha)mgx[/tex] when the body has already touched the spring. But before this moment, I'm not sure about how to calculate it. Anyway, am I in the right way to solve the problem?
Well in fact I find it very hard to solve and I'm not sure about how to proceed. Can you help me to get started? (on a), of course).