Suppose a 1.5kg block of wood is slid along a floor and it compresses a spring that is attached horizontally to a wall. The spring constant is 555N/m and the block of wood is traveling 9.0m/s when it hits the spring. Assume that the floor is frictionless and the spring is ideal.

Question

Suppose a 1.5kg block of wood is slid along a floor and it compresses a spring that is attached horizontally to a wall. The spring constant is 555N/m and the block of wood is traveling 9.0m/s when it hits the spring. Assume that the floor is frictionless and the spring is ideal.
a) By how much does the block of wood compress the spring.

b) If the block of wood attaches to the spring so that the system oscillates back and forth, what will be the amplitude of the oscillation.

bobpursley · Answer

KE at impact=PE stored in spring 1/2 m v^2=1/2 k x^2 solve for x