A heavy dart and a light dart are launched horizontally on a frictionless table

Question

A heavy dart and a light dart are launched horizontally on a frictionless table by indentical ideal springs. Both springs were initially compressed by the same amount. Which of the following statements about these darts are correct? (There could be more than one correct choice.) The darts both have the same kinetic energy just as they move free of the spring The heavy dart had more initial elastic potential energy that the light dart. Both darts move free of the spring with the same speed Both darts had the same initial potential energy The lighter dart leaves the spring moving faster than the heavy dart

Explanation / Answer

Elastic energy is the potential mechanical energy stored in the configuration of a material or physical system as work is performed to distort its volume or shape:

This means both darts have the same elastic potential energy because they have the same spring (k constant) and same compression

Using energy conservation if they have the same potential energy they also have the same amount of kinetic energy

But since their masses are not the same they don't have the same initial speed, in order to compensate for a lower mass, the lighter dart will have a higher speed than the heavier dart

The correct options are 1,4,5

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