Two gliders are set in motion on a horizontal air track. A massless spring of force constant k is attached to the back end of the second glider. As shown in the figure, the first glider, of mass m1, moves to the right with speed v1, and the second glider, of mass m2, moves more slowly to the right with speed v2. When glider 1 touches the spring, superglue instantly and permanently makes it stick to its end of the spring. In terms of v1, v2, m1, m2, find the speed v of the system of the spring and both gliders when the spring is at maximum compression and (b) the maximum compression distant x_max of the spring. The motion after the gliders become attached consists of the combination of (1) the constant-velocity motion of the center of mass of the two-glider system found in part (a) and (2) simple harmonic motion of the gliders relative to the center of mass
Two gliders are set in motion on a horizontal air track. A massless spring of force constant k is attached to the back end of the second glider. As shown in the figure, the first glider, of mass m1, moves to the right with speed v1, and the second glider, of mass m2, moves more slowly to the right with speed v2. When glider 1 touches the spring, superglue instantly and permanently makes it stick to its end of the spring. In terms of v1, v2, m1, m2, find the speed v of the system of the spring and both gliders when the spring is at maximum compression and (b) the maximum compression distant x_max of the spring. The motion after the gliders become attached consists of the combination of (1) the constant-velocity motion of the center of mass of the two-glider system found in part (a) and (2) simple harmonic motion of the gliders relative to the center of mass
