Launcher spring values and component specifications.

What is the spring constant for the ME-6800 launcher spring?

Running a vertical launch experiment may see discrepancies between the theoretical launch height of the steel vs the plastic balls. Because some of the elastic potential energy initially stored in the spring goes into the kinetic energy of the spring (just prior to the ball moving away from the piston).

KE (spring)=1/2(mass of spring)(0.5*launch velocity of ball)^2

KE (piston)=1/2(mass of piston)(launch velocity of ball)^2

PE (spring)=KE(spring) + KE(piston) + KE(Ball) + friction

mass of launcher spring: 47 g

piston mass: 55.7 g

spring projectile launcher: spring constant – 3.5 Lbs/in +/- 0.18 Lbs/in unit conversion 612.85 N/m +/-  31.52 N/m

spring trigger launcher: spring constant – 0.4 Lbs/in +/- 0.04 Lbs/in unit conversion 70.04 N/m +/-  7.004 N/m