Question

A body of mass 5 kg moving with a speed of 1.5 m/s on a horizontal smooth surface collides with a nearly weightless spring of force constant k= 5 N/m. The maximum compression of the spring would be

• A. 0.5 m
• B. 0.15 m
• C. 1.5 m
• D. 0.12 m

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

1.5 m

At the maximum compression, whole of the kinetic energy of the body would be transformed to the elastic potential energy of the spring.

$⟹\frac{1}{2}m{v}^2=\frac{1}{2}k{x}_{max}^2$

$⟹x_{max}=\sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}v=1.5m$