A ball of mass 100   g is dropped from a height h = 10   cm on a platform fixed at the top of a vertical spring (as shown in figure). The ball stays on the platform and the platform is depressed by a distance h 2 . The spring constant is _____ N   m - 1 (Use g = 10   m   s - 2 )

Step-by-step solution

Loss in the gravitational potential energy of the ball= gain in the potential energy by the spring - ∆ P E gravitational = ∆ P E spring m g h + h 2 = 1 2 k h 2 2 ⇒ m g 3 h 2 = k h 2 8 ⇒ k = 12 m g h = 12 × 0 . 1 × 10 0 . 1 = 120   N   m - 1