My dad has posed an interesting question.

[Tspoon]

Lets say you compress the spring. It is full of energy. When it would spring up, it releases energy. However, if you tie it together with gold wire, it won't spring up. Now put the whole thing into acid. Where does the energy go? I have a picture, if you need it.

 

[aPod]

It's dissolved. Dun dun dunnnnnnn!

 

[Lilani]

The energy is most likely released in slow bursts as the spring dissolves. The process of dissolving would alter its shape and properties, essentially releasing the tension in all directions.

This is all conjecture from someone who hasn't learned about physics in a good five years, however.

 

[ThePoodonkis]

The potential energy is being released as the spring loses mass, I'd guess.

 

[Ridonculous_Ninja]

Parts of the spring will deteriorate quicker than others, it will release when it is no longer taught against the gold.

 

[Skorpyo]

It would eventually be released, whether by having the spring dissolve to the point that it crumbles out of the gold wire, or to the point that it is incapable of holding energy.

 

[YouShouldDeleteThisAccount]

The spring will become thin, and snap under the pressure. The potential energy in the spring goes into the snapping of the spring.

 

[Georgie_Leech]

Lost as excess heat. When the spring is compressed, it heats up, and the strain of holding that potential energy keeps it hot for sometime. However, the spring will eventually degrade to the point that the force attempting to cause it to "spring" will instead shatter it due to weakened metal.

 

[Feste the Jester]

Energy is released from the spring. Not sure what form of energy this is. However, I would imagine some of that energy would also be used in dissolving the spring. This is all a guess though.

 

[Remi]

the potential energy of the spring is transformed into thermal energy into the acid. the temp of the acid will rise as the this transformation takes place.

 

[thedoclc]

Heat.

The deformation of the spring causes strain in the bonds between the metallic atoms. Consequently, they are easier to break. Therefore, less of the energy released when the acid attacks the metal is needed to break those bonds. That energy manifests as heat. Conservation of energy still holds.

 

[Tspoon]

This resault will go onto http://www.trollscience.com/

 

[Neofishie]

The energy is most likely released in slow bursts as the spring dissolves. The process of dissolving would alter its shape and properties, essentially releasing the tension in all directions.

This is all conjecture from someone who hasn't learned about physics in a good five years, however.

Correct is still correct.

 

[The Only]

wrong part of the internet
you want to go to google

 

[NonyaZ]

This resault will go onto http://www.trollscience.com/

Ah, /b/'s number one source of science.

 

[crepesack]

The spring would get thinner, and since it no longer is completely bound by the gold band, would decompress a little. Additional energy is lost from molecules of whatever metal the spring is made of, coming loose from the metallic bonds in the spring.

 

[x434343]

Released as heat energy.

In physics, one thing is true: Energy may not be destroyed or created. So by compressing the spring, you have exerted Kinetic Energy into it, forcing it to have Potential Energy. This Potential Energy gets wired up, and is dropped into the acid. The acid dissolves the spring and releases the Potential Energy as Thermal Energy, thereby keeping true Physics.

 

[spinFX]

Someone needs to redo this as a Troll Physics comic.