Academic Integrity: tutoring, explanations, and feedback — we don’t complete graded work or submit on a student’s behalf.

As part of your daily workout, you lie on your back and push with your feet agai

ID: 1332671 • Letter: A

Question

As part of your daily workout, you lie on your back and push with your feet against a platform attached to two stiff springs arranged side by side so that they are parallel to each other. When you push the platform, you compress the springs. You do 58.0 J of work when you compress the springs 0.370 m from their uncompressed length.

(a) What magnitude of force must you apply to hold the platform in this position?
___N

(b) How much additional work must you do to move the platform 0.370 m farther, and what maximum force must you apply?
___ J
___ N

Explanation / Answer

a)

U = 0.5 * k * x^2

58 * 2 = k * 0.37^2

k = 847.3 N/m

then

F = k * x = 2 * U / x

F = 313.5 N

b)

PE = 0.5 * k * (2 *x)^2 = 4 * U

so the additional work done is = 232 - 58 = 174 J