The Spring Launcher

Explore energy conversion with springs, mass, and friction.

Elastic Potential Energy

When you do work to compress a spring, that energy isn't lost—it's stored as Elastic Potential Energy ($PE_s = \frac{1}{2}kx^2$). Upon release, the spring does work back on the block, converting the stored potential energy into Kinetic Energy ($KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$), the energy of motion.

What to look for

Notice the Potential Energy bar grow as you store energy.
A stiffer spring, or a bigger squeeze, stores more energy: PE = ½kx².

Controls

Spring Stiffness (k): 100 N/m

Block Mass (m): 5 kg

Friction Coeff. (μ): 0.10

What's Happening?

Click and drag the block to store energy.

Live Energy Conversion

Elastic PE ($PE_s = \frac{1}{2}kx^2$): 0 J

Kinetic Energy ($KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$): 0 J

Energy Lost (Friction): 0 J