When a spring is fully extended is the kinetic energy high or low? Why?
I was thinking that the kinetic energy is high.
Kinetic energy is energy of movement, what is the object doing when the spring is fully extended?
There is no kinetic energy unless the object is oscillating.
When a spring is fully extended, the kinetic energy is low. This is because kinetic energy is the energy of an object due to its motion, and when a spring is fully extended, it is at rest or not in motion.
To understand why kinetic energy is low in this case, we can consider the energy stored in a spring. When a spring is compressed or stretched, it stores potential energy, which is the energy stored in an object due to its position or configuration. This potential energy is also known as elastic potential energy.
When the spring is released or allowed to move, the potential energy converts into kinetic energy as the spring returns to its equilibrium position. At this point, the spring has reached its maximum extension, and all the potential energy has been converted into kinetic energy.
However, when the spring is fully extended, it momentarily comes to a stop and its kinetic energy drops to zero. It happens because the spring is no longer moving, and therefore, it possesses no kinetic energy. This zero kinetic energy indicates that all of the potential energy stored in the spring has been fully converted back to its original state.
In conclusion, when a spring is fully extended, the kinetic energy is low or zero because the spring is at rest and has no motion.