Question

A 12.0-g piece of clay is launched horizontally at a 102-g wooden block that is initially at rest on a frictionless horizontal surface and connected to a spring having spring constant 52 N/m. The piece of clay sticks to the side of the block. If the clay-block system compresses the spring by a maximum of 10.0 cm, what was the speed of the piece of clay at impact with the block?

m/s

Answer 1

Use 1/2kx^2 = 1/2 (m1+m2) vf.
Use that v to kind
(m1+m2)vf = m1v1i
And watch units.