In a popular new hockey game, the players use small...

Name: Problem 31, Chapter 6: College Physics
Uploaded: 2020-04-06T17:52:15-08:00
Duration: 5 min 59 s
Channel: Zulfiqar Ali
Description: In a popular new hockey game, the players use small launchers with springs to move the 0.0030-kg puck. Each spring has a 120-N/m spring constant and can be compressed up to 0.020 m. What can you determine about the motion of the puck using this information? Make a list of quantities and determine their values.

In a popular new hockey game, the players use small launchers with springs to move the 0.0030-kg puck. Each spring has a 120-N/m spring constant and can be compressed up to 0.020 m. What can you determine about the motion of the puck using this information? Make a list of quantities and determine their values.

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Key Concepts

Hooke's Law and Spring Potential Energy

Hooke's Law establishes that the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to its displacement from equilibrium, expressed as F = -kx. This principle also leads to the calculation of the elastic potential energy stored in the spring when it is compressed or stretched, computed as U = ½ k x². Understanding this concept is crucial when determining the energy available to launch an object in systems like the hockey game launcher.

Conservation of Energy

The principle of conservation of energy states that energy in an isolated system is neither created nor destroyed but merely transformed from one form to another. In the context of the launcher, the energy stored in the compressed spring is converted into the kinetic energy of the puck as it is released. This energy transformation allows one to relate the potential energy in the spring to the kinetic energy imparted to the puck.

Kinetic Energy and Motion

Kinetic energy, defined as the energy of motion and given by the formula KE = ½ m v², is a key concept for understanding how the stored elastic energy in the spring translates into the speed of the puck. By equating the spring’s potential energy (from compression) to the kinetic energy of the moving puck, one can determine the velocity of the puck and analyze its subsequent motion.

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