Ah, it all makes sense now.
I guess I just need to analyze more carefully where the conservation of mechanical energy applies.
Just one more question--in class we learned about inelastic collisions and how it doesn't conserve energy but only momentum.
Because the diver remains in contact with...
I'm a bit confused now. At maximum compression does the system not have balanced forces and an acceleration of 0? I thought that the force of gravity balances the elastic force, which is why the velocity is 0 at that given point.
I totally forgot to consider that. So what if the 0.08 m represents the maximum compression? Then I assume that the conservation of energy remains true, and the elastic potential energy at that moment equals the initial gravitational potential energy.
Would the method of using the net forces...
Then I assume the energy is transformed into waste forms like thermal or sound energy...
Is the key point that the diver is standing still and not about to oscillate...?
So let's say I change the question and say:
"I hold a 63 kg mass on top of a spring then release it so that the spring is...
Yeah, I understand how the elastic force increases as the displacement of the spring increases. I just don't get how it applies to this question in particular. Is the elastic potential energy not equivalent to the initial gravitational potential energy?
1. The problem
A very simple question on a quiz given to me states that,
"A 63 kg diver is standing on a diving board waiting to commence her dive. The diving board has compressed 0.08 m. Determine the elastic potential energy of the diver." 2. The attempt at a solution
I thought this question...