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A spring with a constant of #5 (kg)/s^2# is lying on the ground with one end attached to a wall. An object with a mass of #6 kg# and speed of #12 m/s# collides with and compresses the spring until it stops moving. How much will the spring compress?

Answer 1

Julia Aguilar

12m

We can use conservation of energy.

Initially;

Kinetic energy of the mass : #1/2mv^2 = 1/2 *6*12^2 J#

Finally:

Kinetic energy of the mass : 0

Potential energy : #1/2kx^2 = 1/2 *(5 (kg)/s^2) x^2 #

equating, we get :

# 1/2 *6*12^2 J= 1/2 *(5 (kg)/s^2) x^2 => x~~12m#

*I would be so happy if #k# and #m# were the same.

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Answer 2

Adrian Ayala

The spring will compress approximately 1.44 meters.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.