An elevator is accelerating upward at 3.0 m/s^2. A 60kg student is standing stop a spring in the elevator. How much is the spring compressed?The...

A spring with a spring constant k is compressed by a
length L = F/k when a force F is applied on it.

In your
question the student is standing on a spring with a spring constant of 2.5 X 10^3 N/m.
The elevator is moving upwards with an acceleration of 3 m/s^2 and the acceleration due
to gravity is 9.8 m/s^2 acting downwards. The net acceleration of the student with
respect to the spring is (3 + 9.8) = 12.8 m/s^2.

The force
applied on the spring is 60*12.8 N

The length it is
compressed by can be determined by solving 60*12.8 = 2.5*10^3*L for
L

L = 60*12.8/2.5*10^3 =
0.3072

The spring is compressed by 0.3072
m