A 1300 kg car rolling on a horizontal surface has speed v = 65 km/h when it strikes a horizontal coiled spring and is brought to rest in a distance of 2.9 m. What is the spring stiffness constant of the spring?

1 answer

Solve this equation for k:

(1/2) k X^2 = (1/2) m V^2

(Initial kinetic energy) = (compressed spring potential energy)

V must be in m/s and X must be in meters.

k will be in N/m