AP PHYSICS PROBLEM

TOP LOADED SPRING

THE TWO BLOCKS I AND II SHOWN ABOVE HAVE MASSES M AND 2M, RESPECTIVELY. BLOCK II HAS AN IDEAL MASSLESS SPRING ATTACHED TO ONE SIDE. WHEN BLOCK I IS PLACED ON THE SPRING AS SHOWN, THE SPRING IS COMPRESSED A DISTANCE D AT EQUILIBRIUM. EXPRESS YOUR ANSWER TO ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE GIVEN QUANTITIES AND PHYSICAL CONSTANTS.

A) DETERMINE THE SPRING CONSTANT OF THE SPRING

LATER THE TWO BLOCKS ARE ON A FRICTIONLESS, HORIZONTAL SURFACE. BLOCK II IS STATIONARY AND BLOCK I APPROACHES WITH A SPEED OF Vo AS SHOWN.

B) THE SPRING COMPRESSION IS A MAXIMUM WHEN THE TWO BLOCKS HAVE THE SAME VELOCITY. BRIEFLY EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS SO.

C) DETERMINE THE MAXIMUM COMPRESSION OF THE SPRING DURING THE COLLISION.

D) DETERMINE THE VELOCITY OF BLOCK II AFTER THE COLLISION WHEN BLOCK I HAS AGAIN SEPARATED FROM THE SPRING.