In a Coyote/Road Runner cartoon clip (https://openstaxcollege.org/l/21coyroadcarcl), a spring expands quickly and sends the coyote into a rock. If the spring extended 5 m and sent the coyote of mass 20 kg to a speed of 15 m/s, (a) what is the spring constant of this spring? (b) If the coyote were sent vertically into the air with the energy given to him by the spring, how high could he go if there were no non-conservative forces?

Consider a block of mass 0.200 kg attached to a spring of spring constant 100 N/m. The block is placed on a frictionless table, and the other end of the spring is attached to the wall so that the spring is level with the table. The block is then pushed in so that the spring is compressed by 10.0 cm. Find the speed of the block as it crosses (a) the point when the spring is not stretched, (b) 5.00 cm to the left of point in (a), and (c) 5.00 cm to the right of point in (a).

A mysterious constant force of 10 N acts horizontally on everything. The direction of the force is found to be always pointed toward a wall in a big hall. Find the potential energy of a particle due to this force when it is at a distance x from the wall, assuming the potential energy at the wall to be zero.

Check Your Understanding What are the values of the gravitational potential energy of the hiker at the base, and sea level, with respect to a sea-level zero of potential energy?

Jane, whose mass is 50.0 kg, needs to swing across a river (having width D) filled with person-eating crocodiles to save Tarzan from danger. She must swing into a wind exerting constant horizontal force F, on a vine having length L and initially making an angle with the vertical (Fig. P7.81). Take D = 50.0 m, F = 110 N, L = 40.0 m, and = 50.0. (a) With what minimum speed must Jane begin her swing to just make it to the other side? (b) Once the rescue is complete, Tarzan and Jane must swing back across the river. With what minimum speed must they begin their swing? Assume Tarzan has a mass of 80.0 kg.

An external force acts on a particle during a trip from one point to another and back to that same point. This particle is only effected by conservative forces. Does this particle’s kinetic energy and potential change as a result of this trip?

When jogging at 13 km/h on a level surface, a 70-kg man uses energy at a rate of approximately 850 W. Using the facts that the “human engine” is approximately 25 efficient, determine the rate at which this man uses energy when jogging up a 5.0 slope at this same speed. Assume that the frictional retarding force is the same in both cases.

A block of mass 0.500 kg is pushed against a horizontal spring of negligible mass until the spring is compressed a distance x (Fig. P7.79). The force constant of the spring is 450 N/m. When it is released, the block travels along a frictionless, horizontal surface to point , the bottom of a vertical circular track of radius R = 1.00 m, and continues to move up the track. The blocks speed at the bottom of the track is = 12.0 m/s, and the block experiences an average friction force of 7.00 N while sliding up the track. (a) What is x? (b) If the block were to reach the top of the track, what would be its speed at that point? (c) Does the block actually reach the top of the track, or does it fall off before reaching the top?

As a young man, Tarzan climbed up a vine to reach his tree house. As he got older, he decided to build and use a staircase instead. Since the work of the gravitational force mg is path Independent, what did the King of the Apes gain in using stairs?