Practice Problem: Work Done by the Force of a Spring
2. A force of 4-lb is required to compress a spring 0.25 inches. The spring has a free length of 1.25 inches.
Determine the work needed to compress the spring from the free length to a length of 0.85 inches.
First calculate the spring constant, k:
k = F/x = 4-lb/.25in = 16 lb/in
Now set up the equation for work:
