A 1350 kg car rolling on a horizontal surface has a speed of 40 km/hr when it strikes a horizontal coiled spring and is brought to rest in a distance of 5.5 m. What is the spring constant (in N/m) of the spring?

Answer 1

Initial kinetic energy = compressed spring potential energy.

(1/2)M*Vo^2 = (1/2)k*X^2

Convert Vo to m/s and solve for k.
X = 5.5m is the max. spring deflection.

Answer 2

5509