Solving for Kinetic Energy Lost in Spring Gun

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a ball being shot into a spring gun, where the ball sticks in the barrel at maximum compression. The context is kinetic energy and potential energy conversion, specifically determining the fraction of the initial kinetic energy stored in the spring.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply conservation of momentum to find the final velocity after the collision and is exploring the relationship between kinetic and potential energy.

Discussion Status

Some participants provide encouragement and feedback on the original poster's approach, while also noting potential issues with calculations, such as division by zero. The discussion appears to be ongoing with attempts to clarify the concepts involved.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of negligible thermal energy increase due to friction, which may influence the assumptions about energy conservation in the system.

TS656577
Messages
62
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


A ball of mass m = 56 g is shot with speed vi = 20 m/s (in the negative direction of an x axis) into the barrel of a spring gun of mass M = 222 g initially at rest on a frictionless surface. The ball sticks in the barrel at the point of maximum compression of the spring. Assume that the increase in thermal energy due to friction between the ball and the barrel is negligible. What fraction of the initial kinetic energy of the ball is stored in the spring?

Homework Equations


m1v1=(m1+m2)v2
K=.5mv^2


The Attempt at a Solution


I found the final velocity to be -4.03 m/s by using m1v1=(m1+m2)v2 and got v2 to be -4.03m/s. From here I am kind of stuck. It means that its stored as potential energy...so U=Ki-Kf and I have Ki as 0 and Kf as 2257.49. Would i take the potential divided by the Kinetic?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Hi
your on the right tracks
 
but if you take the potential divided by kinetic, you get division by 0
 
still stumped
 

Similar threads

Replies
17
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
7K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 58 ·
2
Replies
58
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Replies
29
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
Replies
6
Views
1K