Answer:
U = 0.0207 J
Explanation:
We know that:
U = [tex]\frac{1}{2}Kx^2[/tex]
where U is the potential energy, K the constant of the spring and x is the deformation.
so, the deformation is calcualted as:
x = 0.146m-0.116m
x = 0.03m
Finally, replacing the values of x and K, we get:
U = [tex]\frac{1}{2}(46n/m)(0.03m)^2[/tex]
U = 0.0207 J