physics
A 1300-kg car rolling on a horizontal surface has speed v = 65 km/h when it strikes a horizontal coiled spring and is brought to rest in a distance of 2.3 m.
What is the spring stiffness constant of the spring?
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Answers
The spring stiffness constant (k) is given by k = 2mv2/x, where m is the mass of the car, v is the speed of the car and x is the distance over which it travels. Therefore, the spring stiffness constant of the spring can be calculated to be: k = (2 * 1300 kg * (65 km/h)2) / (2.3 m) = 88750 N/m. This represents the force per unit displacement of the spring, and it measures the elasticity of the spring; the higher the stiffness, the harder it is to compress the spring.
