Question

Pushing on the pump of a soap dispenser compresses a small spring. When the spring is compressed 0.55 cm, its potential energy is 0.0030 J.

a) Determine the spring constant.
b) Calculate the force applied to the pump.
c) Find the displacement when the potential energy is 0.0015 J.
d) Identify the material of the spring.

Answer 1

The force applied to the pump can be calculated using the formula for potential energy stored in a spring. The material of the spring cannot be identified without additional information or characteristics of the spring.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the force applied to the pump, we can use the formula for potential energy stored in a spring, which is U = 1/2kx², where U is the potential energy, k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement of the spring.

In this case, the potential energy is given as 0.0030 J and the displacement is 0.55 cm (or 0.0055 m). We can rearrange the formula to solve for force: F = 2U / x²

Substituting the values, we get: F = (2 * 0.0030 J) / (0.0055 m)² = 1056.36 N.

To identify the material of the spring, we would need additional information or characteristics about the spring, such as its physical properties or behavior.