What is the energy stored in a compressed spring?

The energy stored in a compressed spring is potential energy that can be converted into kinetic energy.

When a spring is compressed, work is done on it to store potential energy. This potential energy is stored in the spring as elastic potential energy, which is the energy stored in an object when it is stretched or compressed. The amount of potential energy stored in a spring is proportional to the amount of compression or stretching that has been applied to it. This relationship is described by Hooke's Law, which states that the force required to compress or stretch a spring is directly proportional to the amount of compression or stretching.

The formula for calculating the potential energy stored in a compressed spring is given by:

PE = 1/2 kx^2

where PE is the potential energy, k is the spring constant, and x is the amount of compression.

The energy stored in a compressed spring can be converted into kinetic energy when the spring is released. As the spring expands, the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, which causes the spring to move. The amount of kinetic energy that is produced is equal to the amount of potential energy that was stored in the spring.

In conclusion, the energy stored in a compressed spring is potential energy that can be converted into kinetic energy. This potential energy is stored in the spring as elastic potential energy, and the amount of energy stored is proportional to the amount of compression or stretching that has been applied to it.