Question

A blob of clay with mass 18 grams and velocity 110 m/s collides with a wooden block of mass 2.6 kg. The wooden block is initially at rest and is connected to a spring with k = 700 N/m. The other end of the spring is attached to an immovable wall. What is the maximum compression of the spring?

Answer 1

To find the maximum compression of the spring, we need to analyze the conservation of momentum and the conservation of energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the maximum compression of the spring, we need to analyze the conservation of momentum and the conservation of energy. Since the wooden block is initially at rest, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. Using the equation:

m1v1 + m2v2 = m1v1' + m2v2'

where m1 and m2 are the masses, v1 and v2 are the velocities before the collision, and v1' and v2' are the velocities after the collision.

By plugging in the given values, we can solve for the velocities after the collision. Then, we can use the conservation of energy to find the maximum compression of the spring.