flyingpig said:[PLAIN]http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8761/fallingblockonspring.gif[/QUOTE]
The diagram was perfect BEFORE you wrote your d on it!
Go back to square one here.
Imagine you are going to perform the following experiment.
You are going to place the spring, normally found in the suspension of a car, on the floor. You are then going to drop a brick, from shoulder height, onto the spring.
That is what the problem is all about.
If I knew how tall you were, and how long the original spring was, I would be able to calculate exactly how fast the brick was traveling when it first contacted the spring. HOWEVER, I don't need those distances as I was already told the brick was traveling at speed v when it reached the spring - the calculation had already been done for me!
SO we only calculate from there on.
When the brick is finally stopped by the spring, it has traveled a further distance d.
It has lost mgd of potential energy since first contacting the spring. It has also lost all its kinetic energy: ½mv²
All that energy has been stored in the spring by compressing it an amount d.
SO
½kd² = mgd + ½mv²
re-arrange and solve for m.
Now the original question involved dropping something onto a spring, but I forget what, so I called it a brick.
NOTE: the object was DROPPED onto a spring, not placed on top of the spring.Peter
½ ⋅ ²
The purpose of finding the mass dropped onto the spring is to determine the spring constant, which is a measure of the stiffness of the spring. This information can then be used to calculate the potential energy stored in the spring and to understand the behavior of the spring when a mass is dropped onto it.
To find the mass dropped onto the spring, you will need to measure the displacement of the spring when the mass is dropped onto it. This can be done by measuring the height of the mass above the spring before it is released and then measuring the maximum height the spring reaches after the mass is dropped. The difference between these two heights is the displacement of the spring, which can then be used to calculate the mass using the formula m = kx/g, where k is the spring constant, x is the displacement, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
To find the mass dropped onto the spring, you will need a spring, a mass, a ruler or measuring tape, and a stopwatch. You may also need a support stand and a clamp to hold the spring in place, as well as a balance to measure the mass accurately.
The accuracy of the mass dropped onto the spring can be affected by several factors, including the accuracy of the measurements taken, the precision of the equipment used, and any external forces acting on the spring during the experiment. It is important to take multiple measurements and to ensure that the equipment is properly calibrated to minimize any errors.
The mass dropped onto the spring affects its behavior by changing its displacement and therefore its potential energy. A heavier mass will cause the spring to compress more and have a higher potential energy, while a lighter mass will result in less compression and a lower potential energy. This also affects the spring's oscillation frequency, as a heavier mass will cause the spring to oscillate slower than a lighter mass.