URGENT!!! AP Physics Conservation of Energy w/Spring

Question

A 263 g ball of clay falls onto a vertical spring. The spring constant k = 2.52 N/cm.

The clay sticks to the spring and as the spring compresses a distance of 11.8 cm the clay momentarily comes to rest.

How much work is being done, in [J], due to gravity as the spring is being compressed? 0.304 J

How much work is being done, in [J], by the spring as the spring is being compressed? 1.754 J

Determine the speed of the clay just before it hit the spring in [m/s]? 3.96 m/s

Find the maximum compression of the spring, in [cm], if the initial speed of the clay doubled?

Answer 1

Hi Ishaan G.,

If you've successfully negotiated the problem up to the final question, you know how to go about solving that last portion. The clay ball has a certain initial kinetic energy; it gains energy due to gravity + vertical movement, and loses energy due to spring compression. Just solve for the vertical movement, it will be a quadratic equation since the gravity portion is linear in x and the spring compression loss is squared in x.

-- Cheers, -- Mr. d.