- #1
Mathieu
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Homework Statement
A spring of constant 18 N/cm is compressed a distance 7cm by a 0.5 kg mass, then released. It skids over a frictional surface of length 1.6m with coefficient of friction 0.17, then compresses the second spring of constant 5 N/cm. the acceleration of gravity is 9.8m/s^2
Homework Equations
PE=1/2kx^2 --- potential energy = 1/2 kinetic length ^2
KE=1/2mv^2 --- kinetic energy = 1/2 mass velocity ^2
W=Fd ---work = force distance
The Attempt at a Solution
i converted all the cm to m.. then plugged them into EP=1/2kx^2.. so
PE=1/2(.18)(0.07)^2
PE=0.000441J
but this already didn't look right, however, I still used it in W=Fd.
W = 0.000441*1.6
W = 0.000705600
now this REALLY isn't looking right, and I really have NO idea what I'm doing, except getting random numbers. As much as I love physics (really, I use to want to be a physicist) i have never really understood what I'm doing as far as these harder problems go. If anyone could help me, that would be amazing. thanks!
Mathieu