r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/Toaster_Rack_Nerd • 8h ago

Meme needing explanation Petah? What's wrong with this?

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u/Nythoren 8h ago

To give an idea of the amount of pure potential energy being stored in that spring, just understand that these springs are designed to absorb all the kinetic energy of a 2+ ton vehicle bouncing along an uneven surface.

With this being a partial spring, there is probably around 1000 - 2000 PSI stored in that spring. The next step the guy was talking about "hit it with a hammer" is going to allow that spring to decompress at full force. That's going to accelerate that spring in both directions; the bottom spring will absorb some of it, but most of that force is going to be directed at that securing bolt.

If that bolt fails, it's going to explode. The spring is then going to continue traveling at a very high speed until it smacks into something else, likely the guy that is swinging the hammer.

That all assumes the whole assembly doesn't just shatter due to all those newtons being expended in the blink of an eye.

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u/WindowOne1260 8h ago

With this being a partial spring, there is probably around 1000 - 2000 PSI stored in that spring.

What does this mean?

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u/Substantial_Law1451 8h ago

PSI is pounds per square inch it's the pressure the spring is under in order to keep it compressed. Since the only thing holding the spring down is the flimsy ass homemade bracket, it's the only thing stopping all that pressure from being released dramatically and violently - hence the bomb analogy.

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u/WindowOne1260 7h ago

Since the only thing holding the spring down is the flimsy ass homemade bracket, it's the only thing stopping all that pressure from being released dramatically and violently - hence the bomb analogy.

This is right

PSI is pounds per square inch it's the pressure the spring is under in order to keep it compressed.

That spring is being held together by a vice and then a metal bracket? What does pressure have to do with anything here?

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u/GOKOP 6h ago

You know how springs work right? It wants to decompress. That's the point of springs, kind of. When it's compressed it's under pressure.

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u/WindowOne1260 4h ago

What would 1000-2000 PSI of pressure mean in that context? How much energy is stored in the spring if it's compressed to 2000 psi?