Adding Elastic Potential Energy to a Trampoline

How much elastic potential energy did the son add to the trampoline by pulling it down?

Calculate the elastic potential energy added to the trampoline by the son pulling it down while his mother was sleeping on it.

Answer:

The son added 301.5 J of elastic potential energy to the trampoline.

When the sneaky teenager pulled the trampoline down using the ring attached underneath, he added elastic potential energy to the system. This energy was then transferred to his mother, launching her upward when he released the trampoline.

To calculate the amount of elastic potential energy added, we can use the conservation of energy principle. The elastic potential energy of the mother is equal to the elastic potential energy added by the son pulling the trampoline down.

The formula for elastic potential energy is: E = 1/2 * k * x^2, where k is the spring constant and x is the displacement from the equilibrium position.

In this case, we can simplify the calculation by using the equation for kinetic energy: E = 1/2 * m * v^2, where m is the mass of the object and v is its velocity.

By substituting the given values into the equation, we find that the son added 301.5 J of elastic potential energy to the trampoline when he pulled it down.