A spring with a constant of #6 (kg)/(s^2)# is lying on the ground with one end attached to a wall. An object with a mass of #7 kg # and speed of # 5 m/s# collides with and compresses the spring until it stops moving. How much will the spring compress?

1 Answer
Oct 1, 2017

5,4 m

Explanation:

what is the energy of a object in movement? it is given by its kinetic energy : #E_k= 1/2mv^2= 1/2 xx 7 kg xx (5m/s)^2= 87,5 J # When the object is stopped its kinetic energy is Zero. Where is now the energy that without friction and anelastic strikes preserve itself? In the energy elastic of the spring: # E_s= 1/2 K xx X^2# where X is the compress of the spring. #X = sqrt (2 E/K) = sqrt ( (175J)/(6( Kg)/s^2)) =5,4 m#