AP Physics C Mechanics 3.1: Translational Kinetic Energy

Relate translational kinetic energy to mass and speed, recognizing its scalar nature and dependence on the observer’s reference frame.

[Maximum number: 1]

Mech.2.
A block of mass 2 M rests on a horizontal, frictionless table and is attached to a relaxed spring, as shown in the figure above. The spring is nonlinear and exerts a force $F(x)=-B x^{3}$ , where B is a positive constant and x is the displacement from equilibrium for the spring. A block of mass 3 M and initial speed $v_{0}$ is moving to the left as shown.

Determine an expression for the kinetic energy of the two-block system immediately after the collision.

1 point
Using a proper expression for kinetic energy of the two-block system

\begin{aligned} K & =\frac{1}{2} m v^{2} \\ K & =\frac{1}{2}(5 M)\left(\frac{3}{5} v_{0}\right)^{2} \end{aligned}

For an answer consistent with part (b)

K=\frac{9}{10} M v_{0}^{2}

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3.1.A—Describe the translational kinetic energy of an object in terms of the object’s mass and velocity question 1