What Does a Spring Scale Read at Peak When Jumped On?

[fender5791]

If you stand on a bathroom scale, the spring inside the scale compresses 0.50 mm, and it tells you your weight is 740 N. Now if you jump on the scale from a height of 1.2 m, what does the scale read at its peak?


I'm guessing you use 1/2kx^2 but otherwise, I'm not sure.

 

[tiny-tim]

Welcome to PF!

Hi fender5791! Welcome to PF!

(try using the X² tag just above the Reply box )

If you stand on a bathroom scale, the spring inside the scale compresses 0.50 mm, and it tells you your weight is 740 N.

ok, so what is the value of k?

(and yes, you can use 1/2 kx² later)

 

[fender5791]

So would k be (740N)/(.0005m) = 1.48x10^6 N/m?

 

[tiny-tim]

Yup!

Now use KE + PE = constant.​

 

[fender5791]

Got it, thanks.