Question

What will happen to the potential energy of the spring when it is compressed or stretched?

Answer 1

The potential energy of spring:

1. When a spring is compressed or stretched, it will try to restore its equilibrium position by exerting a force equal and opposite to the external force.
2. So the external work done by us in compression as well as stretching will store in the spring as potential energy (in terms of restoring force).

Now the potential energy can be given by,

$\mathrm{PE}=\frac{1}{2}{\mathrm{kx}}^2.....\left(1\right)$

where,

x is the displacement from its mean position.

So the potential energy will increase with the increase in displacement (it may be compression or stretching).

Therefore, the potential energy of the spring will increase when it is compressed or stretched.