Question

A spring and block are in the arrangement of fig. 7-ii. When the block is pulled out to x - 4.0 cm, we must apply a force of magnitude 360 N to hold it. What is the spring constant?

a) 90 N/cm
b) 100 N/cm
c) 120 N/cm
d) 150 N/cm

Answer 1

The spring constant is calculated using Hooke's Law, F = -kx. By rearranging and inserting the given force and displacement, the calculation yields a spring constant of 90 N/cm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student has asked to find the spring constant of a spring attached to a block when a force of 360 N is required to hold the block at 4.0 cm displacement. This problem can be solved using Hooke's Law, which is F = -kx. Here, F is the force applied to the spring, x is the displacement from the equilibrium position, and k is the spring constant.

By rearranging the equation to solve for the spring constant, we get k = F/x. Inserting the provided numbers into the equation, we have k = 360 N / 0.04 m. To find the spring constant in N/cm, we multiply by 100 cm/m, giving us a spring constant k = 9000 N/m or 90 N/cm. Thus, the correct answer is (a) 90 N/cm.