A ball of mass ' m ' is dropped from a height ' s ' on a horizontal platform fixed at the top of a vertical spring. The platform is depressed by a distance ' h '. The spring constant is ( g = acceleration due to gravity)

Step-by-step solution

From the question, it can be understood that the total distance the ball falls is ( S + h ) The spring is compressed through a length h Loss of P.E. by the ball = mg ( S + h ) Work done on the spring = 1 2 Kh ^2 Using law of conservation of energy, aligned & 1 2 Kh ^2= mg ( S + h ) & K = 2 mg ( S + h ) h ^2 aligned