Two light, ideal springs are fastened side-by-side between a rigid wall and a 0.40 kg block that can slide horizontally on a frictionless surface. Spring C has a force constant of 100 N/m, and Spring D has a force constant of 150 N/m.
(a) Determine the single spring constant that could replace the two-spring combination without altering the motion of the block.
(b) The block is displaced 0.08 m toward the wall and held stationary. Calculate the magnitude of the force exerted by each individual spring on the block while it is held in that position.