A 12 kg block on a horizontal surface is attached to a horizontal spring of spring constant k = 5.4 kN/m. The block is pulled to the right so that the spring is stretched 14 cm beyond its relaxed length, and the block is then released from rest. The frictional force between the sliding block and the surface has a magnitude of 40 N. (a) What is the kinetic energy of the block when it has moved 5.3 cm from its point of release? (b) What is the kinetic energy of the block when it first slides back through the point at which the spring is relaxed? (c) What is the maximum kinetic energy attained by the block as it slides from its point of release to the point at which the spring is relaxed? (a) Number (b) Number Units Units (c) Number Units <>

Spring Potential Energy

The potential energy is the energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position or the energy held by the object due to its position relative to other objects, its force like stresses, charge, and other factors affecting the particles of the body. The potential energy is the measure of the net work done by or on the body. The spring potential energy is the potential energy stored due to the deformation of an elastic spring and this elasticity is due to the stretched spring. The elasticity is the ability of a solid-state matter to come back to its equilibrium position or original position after any kind of external force is acted on it. It is also known as Elastic potential energy. The potential energy here is caused due to the displacement of the spring from its equilibrium position to another position and this potential energy is equal to the net work done due to the stretching of the spring. It also resembles the same mechanics of the oscillation of a simple pendulum, where due to the external force, the object moves from its equilibrium position to its maximum ends and the periodic motion continues till it comes back to the equilibrium position to rest.