Question

A slinky is traveling down the stairs, like in the video clip below. What is the total KINETIC ENERGY of the slinky at the bottom of the stairs (just before it stops moving) IF the Height of the stairs is 2 meters, the weight of the slinky is 4.41 Newtons, its spring constant is 0.84 N/m, and the distance the slinky is initially stretched (to get it going) is 0.25 meters??

Answer 1

8.79 J

Step-by-step explanation:

Given that a slinky is traveling down the stairs, like in the video clip below. What is the total KINETIC ENERGY of the slinky at the bottom of the stairs (just before it stops moving) IF the Height of the stairs is 2 meters, the weight of the slinky is 4.41 Newtons, its spring constant is 0.84 N/m, and the distance the slinky is initially stretched (to get it going) is 0.25 meters??

Total energy = mgh

Total energy = 4.41 × 2 = 8.82 J

Elastic potential energy = 1/2 × Ke^2

Elastic potential energy = 1/2 × 0.84 × 0.25^2

Elastic potential energy = 0.02625

Also,

Total energy = P.E + K.E

Substitute them into the formula above

8.82 = 0.02625 + K.E

K.E = 8.82 - 0.02625

K.E = 8.79375

K.E = 8.79 J

Therefore, the KINETIC ENERGY of the slinky at the bottom of the stairs is 8.79 Joules approximately