A 4.55-kg ball of clay is thrown downward from a height of 3.13 m with a speed of 4.41 m/s onto a spring with k = 1690 N/m. The clay compresses the spring a certain maximum amount before momentarily stopping.

Question

a) Find the maximum compression of the spring.

b) Find the total work done on the clay during the spring's compression.

Answer 1

a) If X is the maximum spring compression,
M g (H+X) + (1/2) M Vo^2 = (1/2)k X^2

M = 4.55 kg, H = 3.13 m, and Vo = 4.41 m/s

Solve for X

b) After solving for X, -(1/2) kX^2 is the work done on the clay by the spring. M g X is done by gravity.

Answer 2

i am still not getting the right answer. i think my algebra is wrong. what did you get for an answer?

Answer 3

They may be neglecting the X term on the left, but it should be included. Gravity continues to act as the spring is compressed.

Neglecting the X on the left makes the problem easier; otherwise you have a quadratic equation to solve.

I did not compute an answer.