Working with Springs: What Happens When Mass m1 is Pushed?

[D_DaYwAlKeR]

Spring force always creates a doubt in my mind...

My question is that..

When two masses say m1 and m2 are connected to each other via a massless spring...
m2 is ahead of m1...
if we push the block m1 towards m2 ..say with a force F..then what exactly will happen??

What i think is that the force F will cause m1 to accelerate ..a compression will be produced in the spring ..and the spring will in turn exert a force on m1 and m2 both..

 

[haruspex]

When two masses say m1 and m2 are connected to each other via a massless spring...
m2 is ahead of m1...
if we push the block m1 towards m2 ..say with a force F..then what exactly will happen??

What i think is that the force F will cause m1 to accelerate ..a compression will be produced in the spring ..and the spring will in turn exert a force on m1 and m2 both..

Yes, but it might get a bit complicated. If it goes from no force to a steady force F then I expect there will be some oscillation in the system.

 

[D_DaYwAlKeR]

Yes, but it might get a bit complicated. If it goes from no force to a steady force F then I expect there will be some oscillation in the system.

But we can still relate the accelerations of m2 with that of m1..can't we??..

F is a steady force...

 

[haruspex]

But we can still relate the accelerations of m2 with that of m1..can't we??..

F is a steady force...

Sure. Can you write the equations?

 

[Naty1]

What i think is that the force F will cause m1 to accelerate

perhaps, perhaps not...m1 may not even move...unless work is done.

equations,and even some derivations, can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_constant

 

[D_DaYwAlKeR]

perhaps, perhaps not...m1 may not even move...unless work is done.

equations,and even some derivations, can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_constant

The suraces are frictionless and the spring is massless...both the masses will surely accelerate...

@haruspex : I could not write equation ...

Im not able to understand what is going to happen if we exert a force on m1...wat the spring will do after that...