"He doesn't realize it yet, but Wile E's next plan could cause him some trouble. He thinks his new ACME Super Spring will give him the boost he needs to grab the Road Runner. His plan could work. But he needs to know more about how his spring works. Wile E squeezes or stretches the spring, it gains and stores up potential energy. The more the spring is squeezed or stretched, the more potential energy it has.

Question

Wile E. plans to use the springs stored up energy to launch himself towards Road Runner. He wants to get moving fast, so he squeezes the spring as tight as possible. As Wile E. waits for Road Runner, the energy stored in the spring waits too. When he releases the spring it's stored energy changes into mechanical energy. The spring shoots out and quickly pushes Wile E. after Road Runner.
Unfortunately, Wile E. overlooked the second part of how springs work. As the spring pushes him forward, it stretches out and gains potential energy again. When the spring can't stretch anymore, that energy again turns into mechanical energy. The spring quickly returns to its normal size and pulls Wile E, into the rock, ouch!"
14. Use Potential and Kinetic Energy to explain why Wile E.’s spring did not work the way he planned. Type Answer HERE:

Answer 1

Wile E. Coyote's plan to use the ACME Super Spring to launch himself towards the Road Runner is based on the principles of potential and kinetic energy. Initially, when Wile E. compresses or stretches the spring, he stores potential energy in it. This energy is then converted into kinetic energy—the energy of motion—when he releases the spring, allowing it to propel him forward.

However, Wile E. made a critical oversight in understanding how springs work. While the spring does convert potential energy into kinetic energy as it launches him, once it reaches its maximum stretch, the spring then needs to return to its original shape. In doing this, it once again stores potential energy.

At this point, the potential energy that has been stored during the stretching phase is converted back into kinetic energy as the spring snaps back. This action is not directed toward propelling Wile E. forward but instead generates an equal and opposite force that ultimately pulls him back towards the fixed point of the spring. Consequently, rather than soaring gracefully after the Road Runner, Wile E. is yanked back by the spring's elastic pull, leading to an unfortunate collision with the rock.

In summary, Wile E.’s spring plan failed because he didn’t account for the fact that the energy stored in the spring can act in multiple ways: first launching him forward, and then, once the spring’s extension is maximized, pulling him back as it snaps to its original position, resulting in a painful outcome. Thus, his understanding of the energy transformations in the spring did not lead to the desired result.