To launch a ball, a pinball machine compresses a spring 4.0 cm. The
spring constant is 13 N/m. What is the force of the spring on the ball
when the spring is released?
To find the force of the spring on the ball when it is released, we can use Hooke's Law, which states that the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to the displacement from its equilibrium position.
The formula for Hooke's Law is:
F = -kx
where:
F is the force exerted by the spring,
k is the spring constant (13 N/m),
x is the displacement from the equilibrium position (4.0 cm = 0.04 m).
Plugging in the values, we get:
F = -(13 N/m)(0.04 m)
F = -0.52 N
Therefore, the force of the spring on the ball when it is released is -0.52 N. The negative sign indicates that the force is acting in the opposite direction of the displacement.