Physics

To find the stretch in the spring when a 15 kg object is pulled at an angle of 60° and accelerating at 0.5 m/s², we can follow these steps:

Given:

Mass of the object () = 15 kg

Spring constant () = 40 N/m

Acceleration () = 0.5 m/s²

Angle with the horizontal = 60°

 

Step 1: Calculate the net force required for acceleration

Using Newton's second law:

 

Step 2: Resolve the spring force

The tension in the spring has both horizontal and vertical components. We are interested in the horizontal component, as it relates to the net force required for acceleration.

 

1. Horizontal component of the spring force ():

where is the stretch in the spring.

 

Step 3: Relate the net force to the spring force

Since the object is accelerating, the net horizontal force is given by the spring force:

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