Astronauts in space cannot weigh themselves by standing on a bathroom scale. Instead, they determine their mass by oscillating on a large spring. Supppose an astronaut attaches one end of a large spring to her belt and the other end to a hook on the wall of the space capsule. A fellow astronaut then pulls her away from the wall and releases her. The spring's length as a function of time is shown in the figure below.

Her mass is 72.95 kg.

What is her speed when the spring's length is 1.16 m?

To determine the astronaut's speed when the spring's length is 1.16 m, we can use conservation of mechanical energy.

1. Start by finding the potential energy stored in the spring at the maximum amplitude position:
- The potential energy stored in a spring can be calculated using the formula: potential energy = (1/2) * k * x^2, where k is the spring constant and x is the displacement from the equilibrium position.
- Given that the spring's length changes from its maximum amplitude to 1.16 m, the displacement x is: x = 1.16 m - maximum amplitude.
- The spring constant k is not provided in this question, so you'll need to use the formula for the period of oscillation of a mass-spring system to find it.

2. Use the formula for the period of oscillation to find the spring constant:
- The period T of a mass-spring system can be calculated using the formula: T = 2π * √(m/k), where m is the mass attached to the spring and k is the spring constant.
- Given that the astronaut's mass is 72.95 kg, you can rearrange the formula to solve for k: k = (4π^2 * m) / T^2.
- You'll need to determine the period of oscillation T, which is the time it takes for the astronaut to complete one full cycle of oscillation. This information is not provided in the question, so you may need to refer to other given quantities or assumptions (such as assuming simple harmonic motion) to find it.

3. Substitute the calculated spring constant and displacement into the potential energy formula to find the potential energy at the given spring length.

4. Use the concept of conservation of mechanical energy to equate the potential energy at the maximum amplitude position with the kinetic energy at the given position.
- Since the spring is the only force acting on the astronaut, the total mechanical energy is conserved and remains constant.
- The kinetic energy can be calculated using the formula: kinetic energy = (1/2) * m * v^2, where m is the mass and v is the velocity.
- Set the potential energy equal to the kinetic energy and solve for v.

5. Calculate the velocity v to find the astronaut's speed at the given spring length.

Note: This solution assumes simple harmonic motion and neglects factors like air resistance and variations in the gravitational field.

To determine the astronaut's speed when the spring's length is 1.16 m, we need to use Hooke's Law and the conservation of mechanical energy.

Hooke's Law states that the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to the displacement from its equilibrium position. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:

F = -kx

Where F is the force exerted by the spring, k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement from the equilibrium position.

The force exerted by the spring is also related to the mass and acceleration of an object through Newton's second law:

F = ma

We know the astronaut's mass is 72.95 kg. Therefore, we can rewrite the equation as:

-kx = ma

Now, let's consider the conservation of mechanical energy. As the astronaut oscillates on the spring, the mechanical energy remains constant. Mechanical energy consists of potential energy (PE) and kinetic energy (KE). Mathematically, it can be expressed as:

PE + KE = constant

Initially, when the astronaut is at the equilibrium position, all the energy is potential energy, as there is no speed or kinetic energy. Therefore, at any given position, we can write:

PE = 1/2kx^2
KE = 1/2mv^2

Since the initial potential energy is zero, we can rewrite the conservation of mechanical energy equation as:

1/2kx^2 = 1/2mv^2

Rearranging the equation, we get:

v = √(k/m) * x

Now, we know the spring's length (x = 1.16 m), the astronaut's mass (m = 72.95 kg), but we need to find the spring constant (k). Unfortunately, the given information does not include the spring constant, so we cannot determine the astronaut's speed accurately without it.

To calculate the speed, we would need to know the spring constant or have additional information about the system.

It seems to me she will be slamming into the wall...

There is not enough information here to give you an answer.