Question

The launching mechanism of a toy gun consists of a spring of unknown spring constant. If the spring is compressed a distance of 0.110 m and the gun fired vertically as shown, the gun can launch a 23.0-g projectile from rest to a maximum height of 19.0 m above the starting point of the projectile.

(a) Neglecting all resistive forces, describe the mechanical energy transformations that occur from the time the gun is fired until the projectile reaches its maximum height.

Answer 1

The mechanical energy transformations include the conversion of elastic potential energy to kinetic energy and finally to gravitational potential energy as the projectile launched by the spring reaches its maximum height.

Step-by-step explanation:

From the time the gun is fired until the projectile reaches its maximum height, the mechanical energy transformations that occur are the conversion of elastic potential energy to kinetic energy, and then to gravitational potential energy. Initially, when the spring in the toy gun is compressed, it stores elastic potential energy. Upon firing, this energy is converted into kinetic energy as the projectile moves upwards.

As the projectile ascends, its kinetic energy is gradually transformed into gravitational potential energy until the projectile reaches its maximum height and comes to a momentary stop before falling back down. At the maximum height, all of the kinetic energy has been converted into gravitational potential energy, assuming no resistive forces such as air resistance are present.