Question

A 5000 kg railcar hits a bumper (a spring) at 1 m/s, and the spring compresses 0.1 meters. Assume no damping. a) Find the spring constant k.

Answer 1

k = 0.5 MN/m

Step-by-step explanation:

Mass of the railcar, m = 5000 kg

Speed of the rail car, v = 1 m/s

The Kinetic energy(KE) of the railcar is given by the equation:

KE = 0.5 mv²

KE = 0.5 * 5000 * 1²

KE = 2500 J

The spring's compression, x = 0.1 m

The potential energy(PE) stored in the spring is given by the equation:

PE = 0.5kx²

PE = 0.5 * k * 0.1²

PE = 0.005k

According to the principle of energy conservation, Kinetic energy of the railcar equals the potential energy stored in the spring

KE = PE

2500 = 0.005k

k = 2500/0.005

k = 500000 N/m

k = 0.5 MN/m