Question

Two identical massless springs are hung from a horizontal support. A block of mass 3.2 kg is suspended from the pair of springs.The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2. When the block is in equilibrium, each spring is stretched an additional 0.32 m.The force constant(k) of each spring is most nearly what?

Answer 1

m g = 2 * 1/2 k x^2

m g = k x^2

m g / x^2 = k

Answer 2

Ack! Careful. This is not an energy problem, it's a Hooke's Law force problem.
F =mg = 2kx
k = mg/2x = 3.2(9.8)/(2*.32)