What Formulas Can be Used to Calculate Energy and Forces in a Spring Collision?

[Eternalmetal]

1. A guy us riding a tricycle at 33kg at 12m/s when it strikes a spring and is brought to rest in 1.6m. Compute the proportionality constant and explain the type of energy, types of forces, and Hookes law applied



2.
F = k(elongation)
I am sure there are others.



3. my problem comes from when I try and combine f=k(elongation) with f = ma, I don't have an acceleration part of the problem. I don't have time, so I don't know impulse either. I am sure it is solvable, but I just can't figure it out at the moment.

Even if you just post the formulas I would need to do the calculations I would appreciate it.

 

[Sourabh N]

Try applying third equation of motion :- v^{2} - u^{2} = 2aX

 

[Eternalmetal]

I don't ever recall seeing that equation before.

I am sure this is not a difficult problem, but I can't get it for the life of me.

 

[Sourabh N]

just check out any book on Elementary Classical Mechanics, you can find 3 equations of motions there.

 

[Eternalmetal]

I have to use hookes law and kinetic/potential energy and such. As you can see, I am ****ing lost. I would really appreciate any help that involves using hookes constant. I have found 2 formulas, but i don't know if I could equate them in this specific case

elastic PE = 1/2 kd^2
KE = 1/2 mv^2

If I can equate those two I will solve for a k value. Would this be for this application, or am I completely wrong?

At this point, I would just appreciate it if someone would give me an answer. I usually appreciate it when someone helps force me to learn it myself, but I am just too stressed out to spend so much time on this.