A high-tension safety barrier designed for highway runoff zones incorporates a heavy-duty steel spring mechanism. When the barrier is pre-tensioned, the spring is compressed.
The compression of the spring is 0.15 m0.15\text{ m}0.15 m. The spring constant of the barrier spring is 1600 N/m1600\text{ N/m}1600 N/m.
Calculate the elastic potential energy stored in the spring when the barrier is pre-tensioned.
Use the equation:
elastic potential energy=0.5×spring constant×(compression)2 \text{elastic potential energy} = 0.5 \times \text{spring constant} \times (\text{compression})^2 elastic potential energy=0.5×spring constant×(compression)2