A cart is attached to a horizontal spring fixed to a wall
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
A 0.50kg cart is attached to a horizontal spring fixed to a wall. The spring has force constant 800Nm−1. The cart rests on a horizontal surface that offers kinetic friction with coefficient μk=0.10. The cart is pulled to the left, compressing the spring, and then released from rest. Just as the spring returns to its natural length, the cart is observed to be moving to the right with a speed of 3.0ms−1.
(i) Write an energy balance between the instant of release and the instant the spring regains its natural length, identifying each term clearly.
(ii) Calculate the initial compression of the spring required to achieve the stated speed.