physics question- springs

Question

When a spring is compressed by 0.28 meters it stores 33 Joules of elastic potential energy. Find the spring constant.

 

please help :) thank you

Answer 1

Hi!  The formula for the potential energy stored in a spring is as follows:  PE=0.5kx^2 (where k is the spring constant, and x is the number of meters the spring was stretched or compressed.)

If we plug in the numbers you were given, we get 33=0.5(0.28^2)k, or 33=0.0392k.  You can just solve for k using algebra at this point--the answer will be in N/m.

 

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