Question

A scale at a grocery store is made of a metal pan (of negligible mass) placed on an ideal spring. The
spring has a force constant of 655 N/m. A customer gently rests 1.00 kgs of bananas and 2.00 kg of
potatoes on the scale. When the 2.00 kg potatoes is suddenly removed, how high above the starting
position do the bananas reach?

Answer 1

When the two masses and are resting on scale, the total weight reaches to a position below its equilibrium position.

---------(1)

When potatoes of mass is removed, then bananas of mass reaches to a position .below equilibrium position.

Work done by all forces = Change in kinetic energy

( )

--------(2)

From (1) and (2)

Position of bananas above its starting point is