Question

A spring has a spring constant of 55 n/m. How much energy is stored in the spring when it is compressed 0.3 m past its natural length?

1) 2.5 J
2) 21.2 J
3) 16.5 J
4) 8.3 J

Answer 1

The energy stored in the spring when it is compressed 0.3 m past its natural length is approximately 2.5 J.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the energy stored in a spring, we can use the formula: E = 0.5 * k * x^2, where E is the energy, k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement of the spring from its natural length.

In this case, the spring constant is 55 N/m and the spring is compressed 0.3 m past its natural length. Plugging these values into the formula, we get: E = 0.5 * 55 * (0.3)^2 = 2.475 J.

Therefore, the energy stored in the spring is approximately 2.5 J, which corresponds to option 1).