- #1
StephenPrivitera
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Two springs are in series. You know the constants for each individual spring. How do you find the spring constant for the spring system?
|-OOOOO---o---OOOOOOOOOO-| --->F
In the middle of the spring system (where the "o" is) the net force is zero and we have
k1x1=k2x2 disregarding sign
F=k3x3
x3 =x2+x1
F=k3(x2+x1)
F=k3(k1x1/k2+x1)
F=k3*x1/k2*(k1+k2)
but F=k1x1+k2x2
F=2k1x1
2k1x1=k3*x1/k2*(k1+k2)
2k1k2=k3(k1+k2)
k3=2k1k2/(k1+k2)
Is this right?
|-OOOOO---o---OOOOOOOOOO-| --->F
In the middle of the spring system (where the "o" is) the net force is zero and we have
k1x1=k2x2 disregarding sign
F=k3x3
x3 =x2+x1
F=k3(x2+x1)
F=k3(k1x1/k2+x1)
F=k3*x1/k2*(k1+k2)
but F=k1x1+k2x2
F=2k1x1
2k1x1=k3*x1/k2*(k1+k2)
2k1k2=k3(k1+k2)
k3=2k1k2/(k1+k2)
Is this right?