A 60 kg student is standing atop a spring in an elevator that is accelerating upward at 3.0 m/s2. The spring constant is 2.5 x 103 N/m. By how much is the spring compressed?

the spring will be compressed by 0.3072 m

Explanation:

acceleration of elevator=3 m/s²

mass of student = 60 Kg

spring constant=2.5 x 10³ N/m

the force on the student is given by F = m (g + a)

F=60 (9.8+3)

F=768 N

now the formula for spring force is given by

F = k x

768 = 2.5 x 10³ (x)

x=0.3072 m