Final answer:
The spring constant of the spring gun is 600 N/m.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the spring constant, we can use the equation:
Energy stored in the spring = 1/2 * k * x^2
Where k is the spring constant and x is the compression distance. Given that the energy stored is 3 mJ and the compression distance is 1 cm (or 0.01 m), we can plug in these values and solve for k:
3 mJ = 1/2 * k * (0.01 m)^2
Simplifying the equation gives:
3 mJ = 0.005 k
Dividing both sides by 0.005, we find that:
k = 600 N/m
Therefore, the spring constant is 600 N/m.