Q - If you use a compressed spring to launch a heavy weight, would your spring constant be large or small?

Question

Me - Wouldn't it be the same, and wouldn't depend on the spring itself?

Answer 1

The spring constant measures the resistance of the spring to being stretched or compressed. The stiffer the spring, the more force is needed to stretch/compress it to a given length. Recall Hooke's Law states that F = ks, where k is the spring constant. This says that the force needed to stretch or compress is proportional to the spring constant (for a given distance, s). THUS, to launch a heavy weight would require a spring with a larger spring constant.

 

Whether this answers your question depends upon what you were asking, exactly. It is not clear. I am just explaining what I think may help YOU answer the question yourself.