A spring of force constant 1500 N/M is acted upon by a constant force of 75N . Calculate the potential energy of the spring
The potential energy stored in a spring is given by:
U = (1/2)kx^2
where k is the force constant of the spring and x is the displacement from the equilibrium position.
In this case, the force constant is 1500 N/M and the spring is acted upon by a constant force of 75N. We can find the displacement by using the equation for the force of a spring:
F = -kx
where the negative sign indicates that the force is in the opposite direction of the displacement. Rearranging this equation, we get:
x = -F/k
Substituting the values we get:
x = -75 / 1500 = -0.05 M
(note that the displacement is negative since the force is acting in the opposite direction to the natural direction of the spring).
Now we can calculate the potential energy of the spring:
U = (1/2)kx^2 = (1/2)(1500)(-0.05)^2 = 3.75 J
Therefore, the potential energy of the spring is 3.75 J.