We can use a toy guns spring mechanism to ask and answer two simple questions: (a) How

Question:

We can use a toy gun’s spring mechanism to ask and answer two simple questions:

(a) How much energy is stored in the spring of a toy gun that has a force constant of 50.0 N/m and is compressed 0.150 m?

(b) If you neglect friction and the mass of the spring, at what speed will a 2.00-g projectile be ejected from the gun?

Strategy for a

(a): The energy stored in the spring can be found directly from elastic potential energy equation, because k and x are given.

Strategy for b

Because there is no friction, the potential energy is converted entirely into kinetic energy. The expression for kinetic energy can be solved for the projectile’s speed. (a)wwwwwwww Work is done to compress spring (c) x- (b) www. PEel m wwwwwwww KE V