Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A block of mass lies on a rough horizontal floor. It is joined to a wall by a light horizontal spring of force constant . The coefficient of friction between the block and the floor is , both for sticking and for sliding. The block is pulled away from the wall, beyond the position where the spring has its natural length, and released from rest, as shown in the figure. Take .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Given. Friction while sliding: . The spring force equals at a distance from the natural-length position. Measure positions from the natural-length position, positive away from the wall.
Step 1. One trip. From a stop at to the next stop at on the other side, friction acts one way only. Energy: . Divide by : . So each crossing trip shortens the distance by .
Step 2. The stops. on the far side, then on the wall side (spring squeezed), then on the far side, then on the wall side. Each time the spring force is more than , so the block sets off again.
Step 3. The last trip. At on the wall side, the spring pushes with , more than , so the block moves away from the wall. During this trip it swings as if its centre were the point on the wall side, where the spring force just equals friction. It started from the natural position, beyond that centre, so it stops on the other side of the centre: on the wall side. It does not cross the natural length this time. There the spring pushes with only , less than , so the block stays.
Step 4. Distance and passes. The trips are , , and , in all . The first three trips cross the natural length and the last does not, so it passes times.
Answer: (a) from the natural-length position, on the wall side. (b) on the wall side (the spring stays squeezed by ); in all. (c) times.
Check. Energy: the spring's energy falls from to , a loss of . Friction does of work. They agree.
Watch out. The quick rule "the distance drops by each trip" breaks on the last trip. From the block does not reach the other side: it stops from the natural position, on the same side.
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