- #1
Smartgurl
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Homework Statement
A small truck is equipped with a rear bumper that has a spring constant of 8 x 10^5 N/m. The bumper can be compressed 15 cm without causing damage to the truck. What is the maximum velocity with which a solid 1000kg car can collide with the bumper without causing damage to the truck?[/B]
Homework Equations
Ek = 1/2 mv^2
El = 1/2 kx^2
The Attempt at a Solution
I made these two equations equal to each other and got the answer 4.2 m/s. The right answer is 34 m/s. I'm way off and not sure what I'm doing wrong