A 10-kg block starts from rest at a vertical height of 1.0 m on a 30^o frictionless inclined plane. If the block slides down the incline and then 20 m along a frictionless horizontal surface into a fixed spring with a force constant of 100 N/m, the spring is compressed approximately A) 1.4 m B) 2.0 m C) 0.33 m D) 0.98 m E) 2.5 m

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The potential energy at the top is converted into kinetic energy and then into spring potential energy. The gravitational potential energy is mgh = 10*9.8*1 = 98 J. This energy is stored in the spring as (1/2)kx^2 = 98 J. Solving for x gives x = sqrt(2*98/100) = 1.4 m.

A 10-Kg Block Starts from Rest at a Vertical Height