Home

A2L Item 149

Meta-Information
Description: 
Identify the spring system with the largest potential energy.
Goal: 
Reason with potential energy
Level: 
Undergraduate
Keywords: 
Mechanics
Keywords: 
Potential Energy
Keywords: 
Springs
Source: 
UMPERG-ctqpe68

Consider three spring systems having identical springs and masses. Which of the 3 systems has the largest amount of stored energy?

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. A and C
  5. All have the same potential energy
  6. Cannot be determined
Commentary

Answer

(2) Students often forget to include the gravitational potential energy and also have difficulty selecting a good reference point.