Question

A spring is fixed to a wooden board with 2 masses suspend from it. The spring has stretched 6 cm. If m₁ = 13 kg and m₂ = 3 kg, what is the spring constant of the spring?

Answer 1

Stretch in spring $x=6cm=0.06m$

Tw masses $m_1=13kg,m_2=3kg$

Let k be the spring constant -

Then Restoration force in the spring $F=kx=0.06k~~~~~~-(1)$

Then Weight of masses = $(m_1+m_2)g=(13+3)(9.8)$

$=16\times 9.8=156.8N~~~~~-(2)$

From eqn.(1) and (2) we have-

$0.06k=156.8\Rightarrow k=\dfrac{156.8}{0.06}=2613.33N/m$

hence The spring Constant is 2613.33N/m.