Physics problem-Potential energy of a spring?
The spring of a vertical pop-toy is compressed down by 10.0cm. The pop-ball has mass of 0.140kg and remains attached to the spring. The spring's mass is very small. The compressed spring is released, and the pop-ball moves up 6.00cm above the spring's equilibrium position, before it moves back down The spring constant (N/m) is?
I don't know how to do this, I know I have to use the formulas PE= mgh and PE= 1/2kx^2?
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Answers & Comments
Let the spring is in equilibrium position, and then the toy presses it by 10cm,
so, now the spring is 10cm below its equilibrium position.
so, the potential energy stored in the spring = (1/2)*k*(0.10)^2
Now the toy ,when released, goes up by 6cm ,so the total distance that the toy has travelled = 10cm+6cm= 16cm
so, the potential energy has changed by an amount of (0.140)*(9.8)*(0.16)
equate the potential energies and you can get the result.