A spring with a force constant of 167 N/m is compressed 1.0 cm. The work done on the spring is ___.

Question

A spring with a force constant of 167 N/m is compressed 1.0 cm.  The work done on the spring is ___.

anonymous · Answer

here's what i think: (do correct me if i'm wrong!)
the work done in compressing the spring will be stored as the elastic potential energy of the spring, right? so W = 1/2 kx^2. values of both k and x are given. find W.

dominusscholae · Answer

Correct! Just make sure you you convert everything to the appropriate units.

daenio · Answer

I thought it was like this...


1.0 cm / 100 = 0.01m
         Fs= kx
Fs= (167 N/m) (0.01m)
Fs= 1.67 N

vincent-lyon.fr · Answer

What you have calculated above is the force exerted when spring is compressed. It is not the work done to compress it.

daenio · Answer

Es= 1/2kx2
             = ½ 167 (0.01)^2
             = 0.00835 J
             = 8.4 x 10^-3 J

daenio · Answer

How about that? @Vincent-Lyon.Fr

anonymous · Answer

@Daenio yup. that's the right answer.

daenio · Answer

Alright, thanks!