An ore car of mass 37000 kg starts from rest and rolls downhill on tracks from a mine. At the end of the tracks, 28 m lower vertically, is a horizontally situated spring with constant 3.3 × 10⁵ N/m. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s². Ignore friction.

How much is the spring compressed in stopping the ore car?

Answer in units of m

Question

An ore car of mass 37000 kg starts from rest and rolls downhill on tracks from a mine. At the end of the tracks, 28 m lower vertically, is a horizontally situated spring with constant 3.3 × 10⁵ N/m. The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s². Ignore friction.

How much is the spring compressed in stopping the ore car?

Answer in units of m

geerky42 · Answer

Any idea? @AntarAzri

anonymous · Answer

hh no idea
you can use conversation of energies

anonymous · Answer

mgh = 1/2 k x^2

find x..)  hope thiis helps

geerky42 · Answer

Why $\large mgh = \dfrac{kx²}{2}$, though?

anonymous · Answer

Energy Conservatiom

geerky42 · Answer

OK... I'm using Google and look it up anyway. 

inb4 "Good idea" I know...