A 1800 kg car moving at 20 m/s hits an initially uncompressed spring with a spring constant of 2.0 $\times$ 10⁶ N/m.The maximum compression of the spring is

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The maximum compression of the spring can be found using energy conservation: the initial kinetic energy of the car is converted into the potential energy of the spring. Using the formula (1/2)mv^2 = (1/2)kx^2, where m = 1800 kg, v = 20 m/s, and k = 2.0 * 10^6 N/m, solving for x gives 0.60 m.

A 1800 Kg Car Moving at 20 M/s Hits an Initially