General Physics 1

Chapter 7
Work and Energy

Introduction
Forms of energy:
Mechanical
chemical
electromagnetic
nuclear
Energy can be transformed
from one form to another
Can be used in place of
Newtons laws to solve certain
problems more simply 1
Learning Objectives

1. Understand the relationship between force, displacement and

work done on a particle by the force when the particle undergoes
a displacement.
2. Calculate work by taking a dot product of the force vector and the
displacement vector, in either magnitude-angle or unit-vector
notation
3. Calculate the net work done by multiple forces exerted on a particle.
4. Apply the workkinetic energy theorem to relate the net work done
on a particle and the resulting change in kinetic energy.
5. Apply the relationship between a particles kinetic energy, mass,
and speed.
6. Apply Hookes law between the spring force on an object
(stretch or compression of the spring), and the spring constant.
7. Calculate the work done on an object by a spring force.
2
 Definition of Work W

The work, W, done by a constant force on an object is defined as the

product of the component of the force along the direction of
displacement and the magnitude of the displacement

W ( F cos ) x
W F .X
F is the magnitude of the force
x is the magnitude of the
objects displacement
is the angle between F and x
Work is a scalar quantity
and has a unit N.m or Joule 3
From the equation
W Fx cos
If =900 ( The force is perpendicular to the displacement), then W=0
If =00 ( The force is parallel to the displacement), then W=Fx

F
F
x
x
x m m
m F m
x

W 0 W Fx W Fx cos W Fx

If more than one force acting

F on an object, then the total work done
is the algebraic sum of the amount of work done by each force

Wnet Wby individual forces

4
Example: 1
In the figure shown if q=37o and F=50N, calculate the work done by each of
the forces F, n, fk and mg. Also calculate the net work done on the object.

Solution:
WF FS cos
WF 50x3cos 37 120J

Wf fk S cos
Wf 10x3cos180 30J

Wn nS cos
Wn nS cos 90 0

Wg mgS cos
Wg mgS cos 90 0 Wnet WF Wf Wn Wg
Wnet 120 30 90J 5
Work Done by a Varying Force

Consider a particle being displaced along the x-axis under the

action of a varying force.
The particle is displaced in the direction of increasing x from x i to xf
In such a situation, we cannot use
to calculate the work done
by the force because this relationship
applies when F is constant in
magnitude and direction.
Imagine that the particle undergoes a
very small displacement Dx, shown in
the figure.
Assume that during a very small
displacement, Dx, F is constant
6
 For each small displacement:

Thus, total work is:

xf
Wtot Wi Fx .Dx
i xi

xf

F Dx
xf
lim
Dx 0 x Fx dx
xi
xi

xf
W Fx dx
The work done is equal to
Therefore the area under the curve
xi
7
Example: 2
A force acting on a particle varies with x as shown in the figure.
Calculate the work done by the force as the particle moves from
x=0 to x=6m.

Solution:
Calculate the area under the curve.
W= 25 J

8
Work and Kinetic Energy

The mass m moving under the action of a constant force Fx

The object will move with constant acceleration a
(Newtons Second Law)
The work done by the force Fx is
W FxS maS ....1

Vf2 Vi2 2aS

v f2 v i2
a ......2
2S
Substitute equation 2 into equation 1

Thus W mS( vf vi ) 1 mvf2 1 mvi2

2 2

2S 2 2

W k f k i Dk Work- Energy Theorem 9

 Where K is the kinetic energy of the object at velocity v
1
K mv 2
2
The work done by the resultant constant force in displacing a
particle equal the change in the kinetic energy of the particle

Wnet kf k i Dk

Speed will increase if work is positive

Speed will decrease if work is negative

10
Example: 3
A 6kg block initially at rest is pulled to the right along a horizontal
frictionless surface by a constant force of 12 N. Find the speed of the
block after it has moved 3m.

Solution:
W=FX= 12x3=36 J
1 1
Wnet mv f2 mv i2
2 2
1
36 mv f2 0
2
Vf = 3.46 m/s
Example: 4
In the above example, find vf if the surface is rough and mk=0.15.
Wnet WF Wf
Wf fX cos180 27J
W net= 36-27=9J
1 1 11
Wnet mvf2 mv i2 , Vf= 1.78 m/s
2 2
Spring Force (Hookes Law)

The force exerted by the spring is Fs = - kx this is called Hookes Law.

x is the position of the block with respect to the equilibrium position
(x = 0)
k is called the spring constant or force constant and measures the
stiffness of the spring. The SI unit of the spring constant is N/m.
k depends on how the spring was formed , the material it is made from
and thickness of the wire.
12
Example: 5
A mass of 0.55kg is attached to a spring as shown in the figure. If the
spring stretched distance 2 cm from its equilibrium position under the
load mg. Calculate the spring constant.

Solution:

Fs kd mg
mg 0.55x10
k 275 N / m
d 0.02

13
When the spring is equilibrium
x is zero
and
Fs is zero

When the spring is Stretched

x is positive
and
Fs is negative

When the spring is Compressed

x is negative
and
Fs is positive
Fs is always directed opposite to the
displacement x from equilibrium
Fs acts toward the equilibrium position,
it is called a restoring force
If the block is released it will oscillate back
and forth between x and x 14
Work done by the spring force

Compress the spring until the block is at the point -xmax.

released, the block moves from -xmax through zero to +xmax. It then reverses
direction returns to -xmax
The work Ws done by the spring force on the block as the block moves
from xi = -xmax to xf = 0, is given by

k x dx
xf xf
Ws Fx dx
xi xi
x
1 2
f
1 2 1 2
Ws k x k x f k xi
2 xi 2 2
1 2 1 2
Ws k xi k x f
2 2
1 2
Ws k xmax
2 15
If we assume that the block undergoes an arbitrary displacement
from x = xi to x = xf , then the work done by the spring on the b
The work done by the spring force on the block is given by
1 2 1 2
kx dx kxi kxf
xf
Ws
xi 2 2
Example: 6
Calculate the work done by the spring force as the block moves from
xi=-3cm to its equilibrium position, xf=0. k=80 N/m.

Solution:
1 1
Ws k xi2 k xf2
2 2
1
Ws x80(0.03) 2 3.6x102 J 16
2
Example: 7
A block of mass 1.6 kg is attached to a spring that has a force constant
of 103 N/m. The spring is compressed a distance of 2 cm and then
released from rest. Calculate the speed of the block as it passes through
the equilibrium position if the surface is frictionless.

Solution:

Wnet kf k i Dk
Ws is the only work done on the block
1 1
Ws k xi2 k xf2
2 2
1
Ws x103 x(0.02) 2 0 0.2 J
2
1 1
mv f2 mv i2
2 2
1
0.2 x1.6x v f2
2
v f 0.5 m / s
17
Example: 8
In the above example, find vf if the surface is rough and constant
frictional force of 4 N retards its motion.

Solution:
Wnet Ws Wf k f k i
Ws 0.2 J
Wf fS cos180 0.08 J
1
Wnet 0.12 mv f2 0
2
v f 0.39 m / s

18
Power
Power is defined as this rate of energy transfer OR
the rate of doing work

The average power is given by

W
Pav
Dt
The instantaneous power is the limiting value of the average power as
Dt approaches zero
W dW
P lim
Dt 0
Dt dt
This can also be written as
dW dr
P F F v
dt dt
Units of Power
The SI unit of power is called the watt
1 watt = 1 joule / second = 1 kg . m2 / s2
Units of power can also be used to express units of work or energy
1 kWh = (1000 W)(3600 s) = 3.6 x106 J 19
Example: 9
An elevator has a mass of 1000 kg and carries a maximum load of
800 kg. Constant frictional force of 4000 N retards its motion upward,
what must be the minimum power delivered by the motor to lift the
elevator at a constant speed of 3 m/s.

Solution:
The motor must supply the force T that pulls the elevator upwards.
Since v is constant, then a=0.
F 0
Tf W
4000 1800x10 22x103 N
P F v Fv cos
Tv cos 0 22 x103 x3 66 x103 w
66 kw

20