An elevatore is moving up with a constant velocity. Two different masses are attached to two different springs of same spring constant. Say you do two operations expanding the spring or compressing the spring by the same distance. Which operation consumes more energy: expanding the spring or compressing it?

Explanation

To solve the problem, we need to analyze the energy consumed during the two operations: compressing and expanding the spring.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Spring Force**:
The force exerted by a spring is given by Hooke's Law:
\[
F = kx
...