Question

An ideal spring with spring constant 100 Nm^-1 is suspended from a ceiling. A block of mass 0.1 kg is attached to its free end. The spring is initially unstretched. The mass is released from rest. The maximum extension produced in the spring is

(1) 1/100 m

(2) 2/100 m

(3) 4/100 m

(4) 1/200 m

Answer 1

(2) 2/100 m

For mass M suspended from the free lower end of the spring; if ‘h’ denotes the maximum extension; then the P.E. lost by the mass is stored as energy in the spring.