Physics 111: Mechanics

Lecture 6

Dale Gary
NJIT Physics Department
 Energy
❑ Energy and Mechanical Energy
❑ Work
❑ Kinetic Energy
❑ Work and Kinetic Energy
❑ The Scalar Product of Two Vectors

February 25, 2023

 Why Energy?
❑ Why do we need a concept of energy?
❑ The energy approach to describing motion is
particularly useful when Newton’s Laws are
difficult or impossible to use
❑ Energy is a scalar quantity. It does not have a
direction associated with it

February 25, 2023

 What is Energy?
❑ Energy is a property of the state of a system,
not a property of individual objects: we have to
broaden our view.
❑ Some forms of energy:
◼ Mechanical:
◼ Kinetic energy (associated with motion, within system)
◼ Potential energy (associated with position, within system)
◼ Chemical
◼ Electromagnetic
◼ Nuclear
❑ Energy is conserved. It can be transferred from
one object to another or change in form, but
cannot be created or destroyed
February 25, 2023
 Kinetic Energy
❑ Kinetic Energy is energy associated with the
state of motion of an object
❑ For an object moving with a speed of v

1 2
KE = mv
2
❑ SI unit: joule (J)
1 joule = 1 J = 1 kg m2/s2

February 25, 2023

 1 2
Why KE = mv
2
?

February 25, 2023

 Work W
1 2 1
mv − mv0 = Fx x
2
❑ Start with
2 2 Work “W”

❑ Work provides a link between force and energy

❑ Work done on an object is transferred to/from it
❑ If W > 0, energy added: “transferred to the
object”
❑ If W < 0, energy taken away: “transferred from
the object”

February 25, 2023

 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 q ) x
◼ F is the magnitude of the force
◼ Δ x is the magnitude of the
object’s displacement
◼ q is the angle between F and x
February 25, 2023
 Work Unit
❑ This gives no information about
◼ the time it took for the displacement to occur
◼ the velocity or acceleration of the object
❑ Work is a scalar quantity
1 2 1
❑ SI Unit mv − mv0 = ( F cos q )x
2

2 2
◼ Newton • meter = Joule
◼ N•m=J
◼ J = kg • m2 / s2 = ( kg • m / s2 ) • m

W  ( F cos q )x
February 25, 2023
 Work: + or -?
❑ Work can be positive, negative, or zero. The
sign of the work depends on the direction of
the force relative to the displacement

W  ( F cos q ) x
◼ Work positive: W > 0 if 90°> q > 0°
◼ Work negative: W < 0 if 180°> q > 90°
◼ Work zero: W = 0 if q = 90°
◼ Work maximum if q = 0°
◼ Work minimum if q = 180°
February 25, 2023
 Example: When Work is Zero
❑ A man carries a bucket of water
horizontally at constant velocity.
❑ The force does no work on the
bucket
❑ Displacement is horizontal
❑ Force is vertical
❑ cos 90° = 0

W  ( F cos q ) x
February 25, 2023
 Example: Work Can Be
Positive or Negative
❑ Work is positive when lifting
the box
❑ Work would be negative if
lowering the box
◼ The force would still be upward,
but the displacement would be
downward

February 25, 2023

Work Done by a Constant Force
❑ The work W done on a system by 
an agent exerting a constant force F
 
on the system is the product of F r
the magnitude F of the force, the 
magnitude Δr of the displacement r
of the point of application of the I II
force, and cosθ, where θ is the
angle between the force and WI = 0 WII = − Fr
displacement vectors:

   F
W  F  r = Fr cosq F
 
r r
III IV
WIII = Fr WIV = Fr cos q

February 25, 2023

 Work and Force
❑ An Eskimo pulls a sled as shown. The total mass
of the sled is 50.0 kg, and he exerts a force of
1.20 × 102 N on the sled by pulling on the rope.
How much work does he do on the sled if θ =
30°and he pulls the sled 5.0 m ?

W = ( F cos q )x
= (1.20  10 2 N )(cos 30 )(5.0m)
= 5.2  10 2 J

February 25, 2023

 Work Done by Multiple Forces
❑ If more than one force acts on an object, then
the total work is equal to the algebraic sum of
the work done by the individual forces

Wnet = Wby individual forces

◼ Remember work is a scalar, so
this is the algebraic sum

Wnet = Wg + WN + WF = ( F cos q )r

February 25, 2023

 Work and Multiple Forces
❑ Suppose µk = 0.200, How much work done on
the sled by friction, and the net work if θ = 30°
and he pulls the sled 5.0 m ?
Fnet , y = N − mg + F sin q = 0
N = mg − F sin q

W fric = ( f k cos180 )x = − f k x

= −  k Nx = −  k (mg − F sin q )x
= −(0.200)(50.0kg  9.8m / s 2
− 1.2 10 2 N sin 30 )(5.0m)
= −4.3 10 2 J
Wnet = WF + W fric + WN + Wg
= 5.2 10 2 J − 4.3 10 2 J + 0 + 0
= 90.0 J
February 25, 2023
 Kinetic Energy
❑ Kinetic energy associated with the motion of
an object 1 2
KE = mv
2
❑ Scalar quantity with the same unit as work
❑ Work is related to kinetic energy

1 2 1
mv − mv0 = Fnet x
2

2 2

Wnet = KEf − KEi = KE

February 25, 2023

February 25, 2023
Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem
❑ When work is done by a net force on an object
and the only change in the object is its speed,
the work done is equal to the change in the
object’s kinetic energy
◼ Speed will increase if work is positive
◼ Speed will decrease if work is negative

Wnet = KEf − KEi = KE

1 2 1
= mv − mv0
2
Wnet
2 2
February 25, 2023
 Work and Kinetic Energy
❑ The driver of a 1.00 103 kg car traveling on the interstate at
35.0 m/s slam on his brakes to avoid hitting a second
vehicle in front of him, which had come to rest because of
congestion ahead. After the breaks are applied, a constant
friction force of 8.00 103 N acts on the car. Ignore air
resistance. (a) At what minimum distance should the brakes
be applied to avoid a collision with the other vehicle? (b) If
the distance between the vehicles is initially only 30.0 m, at
what speed would the collisions occur?

February 25, 2023

 Work and Kinetic Energy
(a) We know v0 = 35.0m / s, v = 0, m = 1.00 10 kg, f k = 8.00 10 N
3 3
❑
❑ Find the minimum necessary stopping distance
1 2 1 2
Wnet = W fric + Wg + WN = W fric = mv f − mvi
2 2
1 2
− f k x = 0 − mv0
2
1
− (8.00 103 N )x = − (1.00 103 kg)(35.0m / s ) 2
2
x = 76.6m

February 25, 2023

 Work and Kinetic Energy
❑ (b) We know x = 30.0m, v0 = 35.0m / s, m = 1.00 103 kg, f k = 8.00 103 N
❑ Find the speed at impact.
❑ Write down the work-energy theorem:
1 1
Wnet = W fric = − f k x = mv 2f − mvi2
2 2
2
v 2f = v02 − f k x
m
2
v 2f = (35m / s) 2 − ( )(8.00  10 3
N )( 30 m) = 745m 2
/ s 2

1.00 103 kg

v f = 27.3m / s

v0 = 35.0m / s, v = 0, m = 1.00 103 kg, f k = 8.00 103 N

February 25, 2023

 Work Done By a Spring
❑ Spring force
Fx = −kx

February 25, 2023

 Spring at Equilibrium
❑F =0

February 25, 2023

Spring Compressed

February 25, 2023

 xf

lim  Fx x =  Fx dx
xf

x →0 xi
xi

xf xf
W =  Fx dx =  −kx dx
xi xi
0
= −kx dx = 12 kx 2
− xmax

xf
W =  −kx dx = 12 kxi2 − 12 kx 2f
xi

Work done by
spring on block

Fig. 7.9, p. 173

 Measuring Spring Constant
❑ Start with spring at its
natural equilibrium length.
❑ Hang a mass on spring and
let it hang to distance d
(stationary)
❑ From Fx = kx − mg = 0
mg
k=
d
so can get spring constant.
February 25, 2023
Scalar (Dot) Product of 2 Vectors
❑ The scalar product of
two rvectors
r is written
as A  B
◼ It is also called the dot
product
r r
❑ A  B  A B cos q
◼ q is the angle
between A and B
❑ Applied to work, this r r
means W = F r cosq = F  r
February 25, 2023
 Dot Product
❑ The dot product says
something about how parallel
two vectors are.
❑ The dot product (scalar
product) of two vectors can be
thought of as the projection of
one onto the direction of the 
other. B
 
A  B = AB cos q
 ( A cos q ) B
A  iˆ = A cos q = Ax q

A
❑ Components A( B cos q )
 
A  B = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz

February 25, 2023

Projection of a Vector: Dot Product
❑ The dot product says
something about how parallel iˆ  ˆj = 0; iˆ  kˆ = 0; ˆj  kˆ = 0
two vectors are.
❑ The dot product (scalar
iˆ  iˆ = 1; ˆj  ˆj = 1; kˆ  kˆ = 1
product) of two vectors can be
thought of as the projection of
one onto the direction of the 
other. B Projection is zero
 
A  B = AB cos q

A  iˆ = A cos q = Ax
❑ Components p/2
  
A  B = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz A

February 25, 2023

 Derivation
 
❑ How do we show that  B = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz ?
A

❑ Start with A = A iˆ + A ˆj + A kˆ
x y z

B = Bxiˆ + By ˆj + Bz kˆ
 
❑ Then A  B = ( A iˆ + A ˆj + A kˆ)  ( B iˆ + B ˆj + B kˆ)
x y z x y z

= Axiˆ  ( Bxiˆ + By ˆj + Bz kˆ) + Ay ˆj  ( Bxiˆ + By ˆj + Bz kˆ) + Az kˆ  ( Bxiˆ + By ˆj + Bz kˆ)

❑ But iˆ  ˆj = 0; iˆ  kˆ = 0; ˆj  kˆ = 0
iˆ  iˆ = 1; ˆj  ˆj = 1; kˆ  kˆ = 1
 
❑ So A  B = Axiˆ  Bxiˆ + Ay ˆj  By ˆj + Az kˆ  Bz kˆ
= Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz

February 25, 2023

 Scalar Product
 
❑ The vectors A = 2iˆ + 3 ˆj and B = −iˆ + 2 ˆj
 
❑ Determine the scalar product A  B = ?
 
A  B = Ax Bx + Ay By = 2  (-1) + 3  2 = -2 + 6 = 4
❑ Find the angle θ between these two vectors

A = Ax2 + Ay2 = 2 2 + 32 = 13 B = Bx2 + B y2 = (−1) 2 + 2 2 = 5

 
A B 4 4
cos q = = =
AB 13 5 65
4
q = cos −1 = 60.3
65
February 25, 2023