Question

A renegade food technologist wants to cook a 0.25 kg head of broccoli by launching it downward from a compressed spring onto a counter. The spring constant is 100,000 N/m, and the technologist initially compresses it by 0.15 m. It takes about 150,000 J to cook the head of broccoli.

How high should the spring's equilibrium position be placed to cook the broccoli?

You may

• neglect the effects of gravity while the broccoli is attached to the spring;
• assume the broccoli detaches from the spring once it reaches its equilibrium position;
• assume all of the mechanical energy from the broccoli turns into thermal energy upon hitting the counter;
• neglect air resistance; and
• take g = 10 m/s².

Answer 1