A spring with a constant of 1 (kg)/s^2 is lying on the ground with one end attached to a wall. An object with a mass of 2 kg and speed of 4 m/s collides with and compresses the spring until it stops moving. How much will the spring compress?

1 Answer
Feb 28, 2016

Here mass, m = 2 kg
Velocity , v = 4 ms^-1
spring constant, k=1 kgs^-2

By conservation of mechanical energy

PE of compressed spring= Initial kinetic energy of the moving object

:.1/2*k*x^2=1/2*mv^2 , where x = compression of spring
=>x=sqrt((mv^2)/k)=sqrt(2*4^2/1)=4sqrt2m