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3.1 Work and Energy

work and energy unit

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6 views

3.1 Work and Energy

work and energy unit

Uploaded by

zahratelatela9
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SPH3U Unit 3: Work and Energy

3.1 WORK AND ENERGY

LEARNING GOALS
Students will:
• Learn that there are many forms of energy.
• Learn that when work is done, energy is transferred.
• Learn that work is done when a force acts over a distance.

DEFINITIONS
Energy provides the ability to do work.
Work is done on an object and causes a change in energy in that object.

Both energy and work are scalar quantities, meaning they do not have an
associated direction. An object can only posses an amount of energy, not in any
specific direction.

Both energy and work are measured in units of Joules, J.

COMMON FORMS OF ENERGY


Object may possess energy whether they are moving or at rest.

Kinetic Energy (𝑬𝒌 ) Gravitational Potential Energy (𝑬𝒈 )

The energy of a moving object The energy possessed by an object that is affected by
gravity.

MECHANICAL WORK
Mechanical work is done on an object when a force displaces the object in the direction
of the force or a component of the force. Work is not energy itself, but rather it is a
transfer of mechanical energy.
• In weightlifting, you do mechanical work to move weights from the ground to a
position above your head.
• When you are pulling a sled, you do mechanical work to move the sled to the right.
• When you are at the grocery store, you do mechanical work to push the grocery cart
around the store.
In all of these situations, a ________________________ is applied to an object, that causes
the object to ________________________.

IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF WORK?


A. A teacher applies a force to a wall and becomes exhausted.

B. A book falls off a table and free falls to the ground.

C. A waiter carries a tray full of meals above his head by one arm straight across
the room at constant speed.

The mechanical work, W, done by a force on an object is the product of the force, F, and the displacement, Δ𝑑,
𝑊 = 𝐹Δ𝑑
• The magnitude of the force must be constant.
• The force and displacement must be in the same direction.

1
SPH3U Unit 3: Work and Energy
EXAMPLE: PUSHING A CART
How much mechanical work does a store manager do on a grocery cart if she
applies a force with magnitude 25 N in the forward direction and displaces the
cart 3.5 m in the same direction?

WORK DONE WHEN FORCE AND DISPLACEMENT ARE IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS


An object may experience a force in one direction while it moves in a different direction. This occurs when a person
pulls on a suitcase with wheels and a handle.

The applied force makes an angle, Θ, with the horizontal displacement. The force acting in
the same direction as the displacement is the horizontal component of the applied force.
𝑊 = 𝐹Δ𝑑
𝑊 = 𝐹𝑥 Δ𝑑
𝑊 = 𝐹𝑎𝑝𝑝 cos(𝜃) Δ𝑑
This force is the only force that causes the suitcase to move along the floor. The work
done by this force is,
𝑊 = 𝐹Δ𝑑𝑐𝑜𝑠(θ)
The vertical force, 𝐹𝑦 , is perpendicular to the displacement and does not do work on the
suitcase.

EXAMPLE: MOVING OBJECTS WITH A FORCE AT AN ANGLE


Calculate the mechanical work done by a custodian on a vacuum cleaner if the custodian exerts an applied force of
50.0 N on the vacuum hose and the hose makes a 30.0o with the floor. The vacuum cleaner moves 3.00 m to the
right on a level, flat surface.

2
SPH3U Unit 3: Work and Energy
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE WORK
Consider each situation and compare the forces acting on he object with the direction of the displacement.
A. You push a box along a frictionless surface towards the right, and the box moves right.

B. A skier slows down due to the force of friction between the skis and the snow.

C. You apply a force to raise a dumbbell over your head.

D. Gravity applies a force down on the dumbbell while you are pushing it over your head.

Positive Work: Force assists with the displacement of the object.


Negative Work: Force acts against the displacement of the object.
Zero work: No work is done on the object when,
• A force is pushing on an object, but the object does not move.
• A force is perpendicular to the motion of the object.
• The object is moving but there are no forces acting on it.

In many cases, objects can experience many forces at a time. The total work done, 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 , on the object is the sum of
the work done by all of the forces acting on the object.

𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑊1 + 𝑊2 + ⋯ = 𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 cos(θ) Δ𝑑

3
SPH3U Unit 3: Work and Energy
EXAMPLE: MANY FORCES DOING WORK
A shopper pushes a shopping cart on a horizontal surface with horizontal applied force of 41.0 N for 11.0 m. The cart
experiences a force of friction of 35.0 N.
A. Calculate the work done by the shopper on the cart.

B. Calculate the work done by the friction on the cart.

C. Calculate the total mechanical work done on the shopping cart.

PRACTICE
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