From: "Dave Baum - Drew University Physics Dept." <DBAUM@drew.edu>
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 22:24:59 -0500 (EST)
On a microscopic scale, the compression of the spring is really
the same as moving the adjacent atoms nearer to one another. In other words,
the PE is stored in the spring-like bonds between atoms.
When the metal dissolves and the atoms dissociate, you'll get that PE backR
in the form of slightly increased KE of the individual atoms.
db
PS i guess that means that the solution's temperature will go up?!