answers
part a = 196 N/m
part b = 55 cm or 0.55 m
Step-by-step explanation
we can solve this using Hooke's law where spring force is equal to the product of displacement and spring constant
part a
rearrange Hooke's law to solve for k (spring constant)
the spring force caused by the painting here is equal to the weight of the painting
m = 3 kg
g = 9.8 m/s^2
x = 45 - 30 = 15 cm = 0.15m
part b
since we now know the spring constant, we can find the displacement caused by a 2kg picture by rearranging Hooke's law to solve for x, where spring force is still equal to weight
m = 2 kg
g = 9.8 m/s^2
k = 196 N/m
the spring is stretched an additional 0.1 meters or 0.1 * 100 = 10 centimeters
45 cm + 10 cm = 55 cm or 0.55 m