WORK

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WHAT IS WORK?
The scientific definition of work is not concerned
with tasks, time, or how tired you become from
doing a task.
It is concerned with the application of a force to
an object and the distance the object moves as
a result of the force.
The work done on the object is defined as the
magnitude of the applied force multiplied by the
parallel distance through which the force acts:
work = force x distance
W = Fd
There are two important things about
these definition:

1. something must move whenever
work is done, and

2. the movement must be in the
same direction as the direction of
the force.
WHAT IS WORK?
In physics, work is a scalar quantity that
can be described as the product of a force
times the distance through which it acts,
and it is called the work of the force.
Only the component of a force in the
direction of the movement of its point of
application does work.
The term work was first coined in 1826 by
the French mathematician Gaspard-
Gustave Coriolis.
If a constant force of magnitude F acts on
a point that moves d in the direction of the
force, then the work W done by this force
is calculated w=Fd.
For example, if a force of 10 newtons
(F=10 N) acts along a path of 2 metres
(d=2 m), it will do work W equal to:
w =(10 N)(2 m) = 20 N.m = 20 J,
where joule (J) (pronounced as jool ) is the
SI unit for work (defined as the product
N*m, so that a joule is a newton-meter).

When you move a
book to a higher shelf
in a bookcase you
are doing work on the
book?
You apply a vertically
upward force equal to
the weight of the
book as you move in
the same direction as
the direction of the
applied force.

If you simply stand there
and hold a book,
however, you are doing
no work on the book.
Your arm may become
tired from holding the
book since you must
apply a vertically upward
force equal to the weight
of the book.
But this force is not
acting through a distance
since the book is not
moving.
Suppose you walk across
the room while holding the
book. You are exerting a
vertically upward force
equal to the weight of the
book as before.
But the direction of
movement is
perpendicular (90
0
) to the
upward force on the book.
Since the movement of the
book is perpendicular to
the direction of applied
force, no work is done on
the book.

The applied force does
not have to be exactly
parallel to the direction of
movement.
A force is a vector that
can be resolved into the
component force that
acts in the same
direction as the
movement.
The force however
cannot be perpendicular
to the direction of
movement.
In this case, w = F
x
d
x
or w = Fcos.d

Is there work done in
lifting an object?

Work is done against
gravity when lifting an
object.
Work is measured in
joules or in foot-
pounds(ft.lb).
Are you doing work if
you pick up a pile of
books on the floor?
When you lift a stack of
books, your arms apply
a force upward and the
books move upward.
Because the force and
the distance are in the
same direction, your
arms have done work
on the books.
Now suppose you are
walking as in the figure.
Are you doing work on
the books?
The books are moving
horizontally, but your
arms still do no work on
the books. The force
exerted by your arms is
still upward, and is at
right angle to the
direction the books are
moving.
Are you doing work
when you walk up a
stairway?
You are doing work
when you walk up a
stairway since you are
lifting yourself through a
distance.
You are lifting your
weight (force exerted)
the vertical height of the
stairs (distance through
w/c the force is
exerted).
Will the amount of
work change if the
person were to run
up the stairs?
The answer is no,
the same amount of
work is
accomplished.
Running up the
stairs, however, is
more tiring than
walking up the stairs.
UNITS OF WORK
The units of work are defined by the definition of work, w
= Fd. In the metric system a force is measured in
newtons (N) and distance is measured in meters (m) so
the unit of work is (MKS):
Fd = w
(newton)(meter) = newton.meter
(N)(m) = N.m
This derived unit has a name. The newton.meter is called
joule (J), in honor of English physicist James Prescott
Joule(1818-1889).
1 J = 1 N.m = 1 kg.m/s
2




In CGS, work is expressed in dyne-
centimeters or ergs.
1 erg = 1 dyne.cm = 1 g.cm/s
2

In English system (FPS), the force is
measured in pounds(lb) and the distance in
feet(ft). The unit of force in English system
is ft.lb. The ft.lb does not have a name of its
own as the N.m and dyne.cm does.
UNITS OF WORK
EXAMPLE 1
How much work is
needed to lift a 5.0
kg backpack to a
shelf 1.0 m above
the floor?
Solution:
To lift the backpack requires
a vertically upward force
equal to the weight of the
backpack.
W = mg = (5kg)(9.8 m/s
2
)
= 49 N
Work = Fd
= (49 N)(1 m)
= 49 N.m
w = 49 J
A force of 8.5 x 10
2
N is
needed to push a stranded
car along the South
Superhighway. The
automechanic and the
driver push the car 40 m.
How much work is done?

Given:
F = 8.5 x 10
2
N
d = 40 m
w = ?

Solution:
w = Fd
= (8.5 x 10
2
N )(40 m)
w = 34,000 N
EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 3
Angelica is pulling her
school bag at an angle of
30
0
with the horizontal to
a distance of 5 m. If she
exerts a constant force of
50 N in pulling her bag,
how much work is done?

Given:
F = 50 N
d = 5 m
= 30
0

w = ?
Solution:
w = Fcos.d
= 50 N cos 30
0
(5m)
w = 216.5 N.m
or 216.5 J
EXAMPLE 4
With the same amount
of force and amount
of work, at what
angle should
Angelica pull her bag
so that she displaces
it by 10 m?
Solution:
w = Fcos.d
cos =_w_ = 216.5 N.m
Fd (50N)(10m)
cos = 0.433
= cos
-1
0.433
= 64
0

A 250-N box was dragged
along a level floor by a
250-N force at an angle
of 50
0
above the
horizontal. The box
moved 10 m at constant
velocity. Calculate the
work done by the forces
that acted on the box.
Given:
W = 250 N
F
a
= 250 N
Solution:
F
y
= 0
N + F
a
sin W = 0
N = 250N F
a
sin
N = 250N 250N sin 50
0
N = 58.5 N

F
x
= 0
F
a
cos50
0
+ F
k
= 0
F
k
= - F
a
cos50
0

= - 250N cos 50
0

F
k
= -161 N


EXAMPLE 5
work done by F
a
:
w
Fa
= F
a
cos 50
0
.d
= 250Ncos50
0
(10m)
w
Fa
= 1,607 J
work done by N:
w
N
= Ncos90
0
.d
= 58.5 N cos90
0
(10m)
w
N
= 0
Work done by gravity or W:
w
W
= Wcos 90
0
.d
= 250 N cos 90
0
(10m)
w
W
= 0

work done by F
k
:
w
Fk
= F
k
cos 180
0
.d
= -161N cos 180
0
(-10m)
w
Fk
= -1,610 N

*Work done is zero whenever
the force is perpendicular to
the displacement.
* When the force and the
displacement are opposite
each other, the work done by
that force is negative. This
implies that the force is
actually making object lose
energy instead of adding to
its energy.
How much work is
required to lift a 50 lb
box vertically a
distance of 2 ft?

Solution:
w = Fd
= (50 lb)(2ft)
w = 100 ft.lb
EXERCISE 1
You move a 75-kg
refrigerator 35 m. This
requires a force of 90
N. How much work, in
joules, was done while
moving the
refrigerator?
Given:
F = 90N
d = 35 m
w = ?
Solution:
w = Fd
= (90N)(35m)
= 3,150 N.m
or 3,150 J
EXERCISE 2
A 130-N force is applied to
the handle of a lawn
mower. The handle
makes an angle of 50
0
with the ground.
Determine:
a. the magnitude of the
component of the force
acting in the direction of
motion; and
b. work done by this force
if the lawn mower is
pushed 15 m across
the ground.
Solution:
a. F
x
= Fcos
F
x
= 130N cos 50
0
F
x
= 83.56 N

b. w = F
x
d
x
= (83.56 N)(15m)
w = 1,253 N.m
or 1,253 J
EXERCISE 3
EXERCISE 4
A 500-N box initially at rest
on the floor was pushed
by a force F
a
=200N,
moving the box a
distance of 8.0 m at
constant velocity.
N

d = 8m

F
k
F
a


W
a. What was the work done
by each force acted on the
box?






b. What was the total work
done on the box?
Force Work done
F
a
w
F
= Fcos0
0
.d =1600J
W w
W
= 0
N w
N
= 0
F
k
w
f
= F
f
cos180
0
.d =-1600J

Jack carried an empty pail up
a 5.0-m high hilltop, then
walk along a horizontal path
a distance of 2.0km before
reaching a well where he
filled his pail with 5.0 liters
of water(5 kg). He carried
the pail along the horizontal
path and then down the hill
to where he started. The
empty pail had a mass of
0.5 kg.
a. What was the work done by
Jack on an empty pail after
going uphill?
b. How much work did Jack do
on the empty pail when he
walked on the horizontal path
to the well?
c. How much work did Jack do
on his now full pail of water in
walking horizontally back from
the well?
d. How much work did jack do
in climbing down the hill with
the pail full of water?

EXERCISE 5
ANSWER TO EXERCISE 5
a. w = mgh
= 0.5kg(9.8m/s
2
)(5m)
w = 24.5 J

b. w = 0
c. w = 0
d. w = mgh
= (5.5kg)(9.8m/s
2
)(-5m)
w = - 269.5 J