A ball of mass 100 g is dropped from a height h=10 cm on a platform fixed at the top of vertical spring (as shown in figure). The ball stays on the platform and the platform is depressed by a distance 2h. The spring constant is ______ Nm−1. (Use g=10 ms−2)
Answer: 120
Solution
By conservation of energy, the gravitational potential energy lost equals the elastic potential energy stored in the spring.
The ball falls through a total distance of h+2h=23h, and the spring is compressed by x=2h.