Two blocks are held together, with a compressed spring between them, on a horizo

Question

Two blocks are held together, with a compressed spring between them, on a horizontal frictionless surface. When the system is released, the spring pushes the blocks apart and they then move off in opposite directions. The spring remains behind, and you can assume that all of its energy is transformed to the kinetic energy of the blocks. The mass of block A is 3.00 times the mass of block B, and the energy stored in the spring was 20.0 J. What is the kinetic energy of block A after it is no longer in contact with the spring?

Explanation / Answer

Onc ethe spring is compressed and the string attached, the release of the spring confines all of the forces as internal to the system using conservation of momentum 3*M*1.68=M*v solve for v v=3*1.68 5.04 m/s to the left the compression of the spring is related by energy to the KE of the blocks .5*6600*x^2=.5*2.3*(3*1.68^2+9*1.68^2) solve for x x=sqrt(2.3*(3*1.68^2+9*1.68^2)/6600) 0.1086 m

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