Work Done by a Variable Force

We know from basic Science the the work done by a constant force F
exerted over a distance d is W = F d. Suppose the force is variable:
we might be looking at the displacement of a spring over a distance
d, the sending of a rocket into space, or the winding of a cable onto
a drum.
If the interval [a, b] is partitioned by a sequence of numbers x0 <
x1 < x2 . . . < xn−1 < xn where a = x0 and xn = b with ∆xj =
xj − xj−1 of In , and we have a tagset T = {t1 ≤ t2 ≤ · · · ≤ tn }, then
the work W done in exerting the force F (x) as x increases from a to

n
b can be approximated by a Riemann sum: W  F (ti )∆xi
i=1

If we take the limit as the mesh of the partition approaches 0, we get

a definite integral, which we define to be the work W :

n

b
W = lim F (ti )∆xi = F (x)dx
||P||→0 a
i=1

1
 Hooke’s Law
The force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to its displace-
ment x from its natural length.

Newton N
F (x) = kx = kx ,
cm cm
where k > 0 is called the spring constant and x is the displacement
from the natural length.

Example: A spring has natural length 30 cm, and a force of 50 New-

tons(N) is required to extend it to 35 cm. what is the spring constant?
How much work is required to extend it from 32 to 36 cm?

N
Solution: We have F (35 − 30) = 50N = k(35 − 30) cm cm = k5cm,
50
so k = 5 = 10
The work required to extend the spring from 32 to 36 cm is

2
  (36−30)cm  6cm  6cm
N N N x 
2

W = 10x dx = 10 xdx = 10  =
(32−30)cm cm cm 2cm cm 2 2cm
N  2 2

5 (6cm) − (2cm) = 160N·cm
cm

Example 4: A conical water tank of height 8m and diameter 6m at

the base must have all of its fluid contents pumped to the top of the
tank. If it is full to a depth of 4m, how much work will this require?

Solution: Let the interval [0, 4] be partitioned by

0 = x0 < x1 < x2 . . . < xn−1 < xn = 4, and a tagset T = {t1 ≤ t2 ≤
· · · ≤ tn } given.
Then the work Wi required to pump the water which lies between
level xi−1 and xi approximately equals the force Fi required to lift it
times the distance di = 8 − ti that it must be lifted.

The volume Vi of the water lying between level xi−1 and xi is ap-
3
proximately that of the disk of radius ri = (8 − ti ) 8 and thickness

3
 9π
∆xi = xi − xi−1 , so Vi  π ri2 ∆xi = 64
(8 − ti )2 ∆xi .

The mass Mi of this volume of water is

Mi = 1000 kg × Vi  1000 × 9π
64
(8 − ti )2 ∆xi kg,

so the force Fi needed to lift it is

2
Fi = 9.8Mi  9800 9π
64 ((8
− ti )) ∆xi N.

and therefore the work Wi needed to lift this mass to the top of the
tank is about
9π 2 9
Fi di = 9800 64 ((8 − ti )) ∆xi N(8 − ti ) = 9800π (8 − ti )3 64 ∆xi
Adding them all up, we get an estimate for the total amount of work
needed:

n
n
9π
W  Fi di = 9800 (8 − ti )3 ∆xi
i=1 i=1
64

Taking the limit as the mesh of the partition approaches 0, we get

4
 n

n

9π
W = lim Fi d i = 9800 (8 − ti )3 ∆xi =
||P||→0
i=1 i=1
64
 x=4
9π
9800 (8 − x)3 dx
64 x=0

We use the substitution u = 8 − x to evaluate the definite integral:

dx = −du, u = 8 when x = 0, and u = 4 when x = 4, so
  u=4 
4 u=4
9π x=4 9π 9π u 
9800 (8−x)3 dx = −9800 u3 du = −9800  =
64 x=0 64 u=8 64 4 u=8
9π 4  4 
−9800 4 1 − 4 = −9800(9π )(−255)  70.8 × 106 J
4
4(64)

Example: A 40 metre long cable that weighs 5 kg/metre is hanging

from the roof of a very tall building. How much work is required to
lift it all to the roof level?

Solution: Suppose that x metres of cable has already been lifted to

roof level, so that 40 − x metres weighing 5(40 − x) kg and requir-
ing a force of 9.8 × 5(40 − x) = 49(40 − x) N is left hanging. The
work required to lift this remaining cable a distance ∆x is therefore

5
49(40 − x)∆x J. Summing over a partition of the interval [0,40] gives
the Riemann sum

n  40
W  49(40 − x)∆x → 49(40 − x)dx as the mesh of the parti-
0
i=1
tion tends to 0.

Evaluating the definite integral, we get

 40    
2 40 2
x  (40)
W = 49(40−x)dxJ = 49 40x −  J = 49 40(40) − J=
0 2 0 2

49(800)J = 39, 200J