Physics 1214

Chapter 7
Work & Energy
 Energy
What is energy?

In Physics, the notion of energy has its root in the principle of

energy conservation.

Energy, can take on many different forms (kinetic, thermal,

chemical, electrical, etc.), however, the total amount remains
unchanged.

Energy: The Currency of the Universe:

 Conservation of Energy
What is energy?
 Work
Forces can change an object’s energy.

If a force is applied to an object, it may gain speed,

increasing its kinetic energy.

This can be quantified with the concept of “work”

𝑊𝑊 = 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 cos 𝜙𝜙 unit Joule = 1 J

Work
 Example 7.2
A package with mass 𝑚𝑚 is unloaded from a truck with an inclined ramp, as shown
figure. The ramp has rollers that eliminate friction, and the package is unloaded from
an initial height ℎ. The ramp is inclined at an angle 𝛽𝛽. Find an algebraic expression in
terms of these quantities for the total work done by all of the forces on the package
during its trip down the ramp.
 Example 7.3
A tractor is hitched to a sled loaded with firewood and pulls the sled a distance of
20.0 𝑚𝑚 along level frozen ground. The total weight of the sled and load is 14,700 𝑁𝑁.
The tractor exerts a constant force 𝐹𝐹𝑇𝑇 with magnitude 5000 𝑁𝑁 at an angle of 𝜙𝜙 = 36.9°
above the horizontal, as shown. A constant 3500 𝑁𝑁 friction force opposes the motion.
Find the work done on the sled by each force individually and the total work done on
the sled by all the forces.
 Work-Energy Theorem

𝑣𝑣22 − 𝑣𝑣12
∑𝐹𝐹 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = 𝑚𝑚
2𝑠𝑠

1 1
∑𝑊𝑊 = ∑𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 = 𝑚𝑚𝑣𝑣2 − 𝑚𝑚𝑣𝑣12 = 𝐾𝐾2 − 𝐾𝐾1
2
2 2

Work-Energy Theorem
𝑊𝑊𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 = Δ𝐾𝐾

1
𝑊𝑊 = 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 cos 𝜙𝜙; 𝐾𝐾 = 𝑚𝑚𝑣𝑣 2
2
 Example 7.4
Let’s revisit Example 7.3 in order to determine what actually happened to the work
energy produced by the forces acting on the sled. The free-body diagram is shown again
in Figure 7.15. We found that the total work done on the sled by all the forces is
10.0 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘, so the kinetic energy of the sled must increase by 10.0 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘. The mass of the sled
is 𝑚𝑚 = 14,700 𝑁𝑁 / 9.81 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 2 = 1500 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 Suppose the sled’s initial speed is
2.00 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 What is its final speed?
 Example 7.5
In a pile driver, a steel hammerhead with mass
200 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 is lifted 3.00 𝑚𝑚 above the top of a vertical
I-beam that is to be driven into the ground. The
hammer is then dropped, driving the I-beam
7.40 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 farther into the ground. The vertical rails
that guide the hammerhead exert a constant
60.0 𝑁𝑁 friction force on it. Use the work–energy
theorem to find:
a) The speed of the hammerhead just as it hits the
I-beam
b) The average force the hammerhead exerts on
the I-beam.
Work Done by a Varying Force

𝑊𝑊 = 𝐹𝐹1𝑥𝑥 Δ𝑥𝑥1 + 𝐹𝐹2𝑥𝑥 Δ𝑥𝑥2 + ⋯

1 2
𝑊𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 𝑘𝑘𝑋𝑋
2
 Example 7.6
A woman weighing 600 𝑁𝑁 steps onto a bathroom scale that contains a heavy spring.
The spring compresses by 1.0 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 under her weight. Find the force constant of the
spring and the total work done on it during the compression.
 Potential Energy
Energy associated with an object’s position is called Potential Energy

Forces that are associated with Potential Energy are called Conservative Forces

In many situations, Potential Energy can seem like a stored energy

A better way to consider Potential Energy is to associate it with an Interaction Energy

Gravitational Potential Energy

Consider the work done by gravity if the

motion of the object is downward:

𝑊𝑊𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = +𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 𝑦𝑦𝑖𝑖 − 𝑦𝑦𝑓𝑓

= 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑦𝑦𝑖𝑖 − 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑦𝑦𝑓𝑓

Gravitational Potential Energy:

𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
Gravitational Potential Energy

Consider the work done by gravity if the

motion of the object is upward:

𝑊𝑊𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = −𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 = − 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 𝑦𝑦𝑓𝑓 − 𝑦𝑦𝑖𝑖

= 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑦𝑦𝑖𝑖 − 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑦𝑦𝑓𝑓

Gravitational Potential Energy:

𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚

𝑊𝑊𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔,𝑖𝑖 − 𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔,𝑓𝑓 = −Δ𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔

 Gravitational Potential Energy

To calculate the work done by gravity along a curved path:

𝑊𝑊𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 𝐹𝐹∥ 𝑆𝑆 = 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 cos 𝛽𝛽 = 𝐹𝐹𝑆𝑆∥ = − 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 Δ𝑦𝑦 = −Δ𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔

𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 Where is 𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = 0?

 Example 7.7
You throw a 0.150 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 baseball straight up in the air, giving it an initial upward velocity
of magnitude Use conservation of energy to find how high it goes, ignoring air
resistance.
 Elastic Potential Energy
The work done by an ideal elastic force,
consider pulling on the spring with an
external force 𝐹𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 1 2
𝑊𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 𝑘𝑘𝑋𝑋
2
The work done to displace the spring from 𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖 to 𝑥𝑥𝑓𝑓 is:
1 2 1 2
𝑊𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 𝑘𝑘𝑥𝑥𝑓𝑓 − 𝑘𝑘𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖
2 2
If 𝐹𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 is the force exerted on the spring, then the force by the
spring will have the same magnitude but opposite direction:
The work done by the spring will have the opposite sign:
1 2 1 2
𝑊𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = −𝑊𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = − 𝑘𝑘𝑥𝑥𝑓𝑓 − 𝑘𝑘𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖 = − 𝑈𝑈𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒,𝑓𝑓 − 𝑈𝑈𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒,𝑖𝑖
2 2
1 2
𝑈𝑈𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 𝑘𝑘𝑥𝑥
2
 Example 7.8
A glider with mass 𝑚𝑚 = 0.200 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 sits on a frictionless horizontal air track, connected to
a spring of negligible mass with force constant 𝑘𝑘 = 5.00 𝑁𝑁/𝑚𝑚. You pull on the glider,
stretching the spring 0.100 𝑚𝑚, and then release it with no initial velocity. The glider
begins to move back toward its equilibrium position, 𝑥𝑥 = 0 𝑚𝑚. What is its speed when
𝑥𝑥 = 0.0800 𝑚𝑚?
 Gravitational Potential Energy
Consider the total work done an object: 𝑊𝑊𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 = 𝑊𝑊𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 + 𝑊𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 + 𝑊𝑊𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = Δ𝐾𝐾

𝑊𝑊𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 = −Δ𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔
𝑊𝑊𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 = −Δ𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 + −Δ𝑈𝑈𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 + 𝑊𝑊𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = Δ𝐾𝐾
𝑊𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = −Δ𝑈𝑈𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒

𝑊𝑊𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = Δ𝐾𝐾 + Δ𝑈𝑈𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 + Δ𝑈𝑈𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒

𝑈𝑈 = 𝑈𝑈𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡

We can define the Total Mechanical Energy: 𝐸𝐸 = 𝐾𝐾 + 𝑈𝑈

We can write a modified Work-Energy Theorem as: 𝑊𝑊𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = Δ𝐸𝐸

If 𝑊𝑊𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 = 0, then mechanical energy is constant! Δ𝐸𝐸 = 0

 Example 7.10
A boy skateboards down a quarter-pipe with radius𝑅𝑅 = 3.0 𝑚𝑚. The total mass of the
boy and the skateboard is 25.0 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘. If he starts from rest and there is no friction, derive
an algebraic expression for his speed at the bottom of the ramp. Evaluate this
expression with the values given. (The skateboarder’s center of mass moves in a circle
with radius somewhat smaller than 𝑅𝑅; ignore this small difference.)
 Example 7.11
In a “worst-case” design scenario, a 2000 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
elevator with broken cables is falling at
8.00 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 when it first contacts a cushioning
spring at the bottom of the shaft. The spring
is supposed to stop the elevator,
compressing 3.00 𝑚𝑚 as it does so. As an
energy consultant, you are asked to
determine what the force constant of the
spring should be. Ignore air resistance and
friction in the elevator guides.
 Example 7.12
Now let’s revisit Example 7.8, adding a nonconservative force to the system. Suppose
the glider is initially at rest at 𝑥𝑥 = 0 with the spring unstretched. Then you apply a
constant force 𝐹𝐹⃗ with magnitude 0.610 𝑁𝑁 to the glider. What is the glider’s speed when
it has moved to 𝑥𝑥 = 0.100 𝑚𝑚?
 Example 7.14
A crate full of machine parts sits on the floor; the total mass is 8.0 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘. The crate must
be raised to the floor of a truck by sliding it up a ramp 2.5 𝑚𝑚 long, inclined at 30°. The
shop foreman, giving no thought to the force of friction, calculates that he can get the
crate up the ramp by giving it an initial speed of 5.0 𝑚𝑚/𝑠𝑠 at the bottom and letting it go.
Unfortunately, friction is not negligible; the crate slides 1.6 𝑚𝑚 up the ramp, stops, and
slides back down.
a) Assuming that the friction force acting on the crate is constant, find its magnitude.
b) How fast is the crate moving when it reaches the bottom of the ramp?
 Conservative and Nonconservative Forces
The work done by a conservative force has
these properties:
1. It can always be expressed as the
difference between the initial and final
values of a potential-energy function.
2. It is reversible.
3. It is independent of the path of the
object and depends on only the starting
and ending points.
4. When the starting and ending points are
the same, the total work is zero.
 Power
Power if the rate at which work is being done.

Δ𝑊𝑊
𝑃𝑃𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 =
Δ𝑡𝑡

Δ𝑊𝑊 Δ𝑥𝑥
𝑃𝑃 = lim = 𝐹𝐹 = 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹
Δ𝑡𝑡→0 Δ𝑡𝑡 Δ𝑡𝑡

If the force and velocity are not in the same direction:

𝑃𝑃 = 𝐹𝐹∥ 𝑣𝑣 = 𝐹𝐹𝑣𝑣∥ = 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 cos 𝜙𝜙