The World of Work and

Mechanical Energy
 What Is This Module About?

When do you think you have done work? Is it when you feel tired after doing something or
only when you see results or changes? How do you know that you have worked efficiently?
What is it in you that makes you capable of doing work? How do you use the things around you
to make your work easy to do?
You can find the answers to the preceding questions in this module. In this module, you will
find out what work is and how mechanical energy is conserved. You will also learn what simple
machines are and how they help make your work easier to do.
There are three lessons in this module. These are:
Lesson 1 – Working or Not Working at All
Lesson 2 – The Capacity to Do Work
Lesson 3 – Tools for an Easy Life

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After studying this module, you should be able to:

♦ define work, power, energy, potential energy, kinetic energy and efficiency;
♦ state the law of conservation of mechanical energy;
♦ identify different simple machines and how they make work easier; and
♦ apply the principles of work and energy to real-life situations.

Let’s See What You Already Know

A. Match the items in Column A with the items in Column B. Write the letter of the
correct answer in the blank before each item.
A B
____ 1. The product of a force exerted on an object a. power
and the displacement of the object b. work
____ 2. Amount of work done per unit time c. energy
____ 3. Energy possessed by an object due to its position d. efficiency
____ 4. Energy of a moving object e. potential energy
____ 5. The measure of how well an object produces f. kinetic energy
an energy output from an energy input

1
B. Analyze the following situations. Write your answers to the questions on the lines
provided.
1. Buboy kept pushing a box for almost an hour but was not able to move it.
Meanwhile, Mary dragged a pot of plant across the room easily. She did not
even get tired doing it. Who between Buboy and Mary really did work?
_____________________________________________________________
2. Two identical pots of plants are placed in two different spots inside a room. One
pot of plant is placed on a table, which is a meter above the floor. The other is
placed on the floor. Which pot of plant has more potential energy?
_____________________________________________________________
3. In Barangay Matiyaga, there are two streams which meet at one point then
flow together toward a river. The residents of the barangay named the two
streams according to how they flow. One is called Sapang Mabilis while the
other is called Sapang Mabagal. Which of the two streams has a greater kinetic
energy?
_____________________________________________________________
4. Machines B1 and B2 are given the same capability to do work but machine B1
produces more output than B2. Which machine is more efficient?
_____________________________________________________________
C. Fill in the blanks in the diagram below.

Potential energy = 60 joules

Kinetic energy = ________________ (1)

s
Potential energy = ________________ (2)
Kinetic energy = 15 joules

s
Potential energy = 30 joules
Kinetic energy = ________________ (3)

s
Potential energy = ________________ (4)
Kinetic energy = 45 joules

s
Potential energy = 0 joule
Kinetic energy = ________________ (5)

2
 D. The words in the box are different simple machines. Classify each by writing it in the
appropriate column in the table below.
scissors doorknob ax crowbar
plank knife eggbeater jackhammer

Lever Wedge Wheel and Axl

Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers with those in the
Answer Key on page 26 to find out.
If all your answers are correct, very good! You may still study the module to review what
you already know. Who knows, you might learn a few more new things as well.
If you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This means that this module is for you. It will help
you understand some important concepts that you can apply in your daily life. If you study this
module carefully, you will learn the answers to all the items in the test and a lot more! Are you
ready?
You may now go to the next page to begin Lesson 1.

3
 LESSON 1

Working or Not Working at All

You usually think of work as something that you do for a living or something that causes you
to feel tired. In this lesson, you will take a look at another way of defining work. You will discover
that even the simple things you do can be considered work. You will also learn about power. In
this lesson, you will have to recall the concepts of force and displacement, which you have
already learned from the previous modules.

Let’s Study and Analyze

Study the illustrations and write your observations in the spaces provided below.

Observations:
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________

4
 Let’s Think About This

1. Are the man and woman both exerting force on the objects they’re pushing ?
__________________________________________________________________
2. In which situation is there likely to be a displacement? ________________________
3. Who between the two do you think really does work? Why do you say so?
________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 26.

Let’s Learn

Look at the pictures of the man and the woman again on page 4. Each of them is pushing
something. The man is pushing a wall while the woman is pushing a table. What does this mean?
This means that both the man and the woman are exerting a force on the objects they’re pushing.
However, only one of them is doing work. Who do you think it is? Does the wall that the man is
pushing move? What about the table that the woman is pushing? The wall does not move but the
table does. Therefore, only the woman is doing work because the force she’s exerting on the
table causes a displacement.
Work is defined as a force acting upon an object to cause displacement.

In order for a force to qualify as having done work on an object, there must be a
displacement and the force must cause the displacement.

Let’s Try This

If you carry an object across a room, will you be doing work? Look at the picture below.
Draw an arrow to indicate the direction of the force exerted on the object. Draw another arrow
to indicate the direction in which the object is displaced.

In which direction does each of the arrow you drew point? Was work done in carrying the
object across the room?

5
 Let’s Learn

When you carry an object across a room, you apply a force to support the object with your
hands. When you walk across the room, the displacement of the object you’re carrying will be
directed across the room. If you draw arrows to represent force and displacement, they will look
like these:
Force, F
s

Displacement, d Object

Mathematically, work can be expressed by the equation

W = Fd cos θ
where W = work
F = force
d = displacement

θ = the angle between the force and the displacement

The joule is the unit of work. One joule is equal to one newton-meter.
1J=1N·m
Let’s look again at the force and displacement of an object carried across a room.
F
s

d
s

What is the angle between F and d? F and d are at right angles to each other, hence θ is
90°. Is work done in this situation?

W = Fd cos θ = Fd cos 90° = Fd (0) = 0

Therefore, a vertical force acting on an object that is displaced horizontally does no work
on the object. On the other hand, when the force and the displacement are in opposite directions,
the θ is 180°, whose cosine is negative and which results in negative work. When the force and
the displacement are in the same direction, work is positive.

6
 Let’s Read

Isabel and Tessa pulled identical bags across a room. Each girl pulled on her bag with the same
amount of strength as the other. However, Isabel was the first to reach the other side of the room.

Let’s Think About This

Answer the questions below.

1. Did Isabel and Tessa apply the same force on the bags?
_________________________________________________________________
2. Did the bags have the same displacement?
_________________________________________________________________
3. Did they do the same amount of work?
_________________________________________________________________
4. Who did her work faster?
_________________________________________________________________
5. Who was more powerful between the two?
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 26 and 27.

Let’s Learn

In the situation that you read above, Isabel and Tessa did the same amount of work when
they pulled their bags across the room. However, Isabel was able to do her work faster because
she reached the other side of the room first.
From the story, you see that the same amount of work can be accomplished within varying
periods of time. How fast work is done is called power. It is the amount of work done per unit
time. Because Isabel was able to do the same amount of work as Tessa did within a shorter
period of time, you can say that she is more powerful than Tessa.

Power is the amount of work done per unit time. It is measured in watts.

Let’s consider another situation: Isabel and Tessa both moved their bags within the same
period of time. However, Isabel was able to move her bag farther than Tessa moved hers.
Because the displacement of her bag is greater, Isabel did more work than Tessa did. Therefore,
Isabel is more powerful than Tessa.
Mathematically speaking, power can be expressed by the following equation:

W joules
P= = = watts
t second

7
 where P = power
W = work
t = time
You can also say that

W force × displacement
P= =
t time
Home appliances have different power ratings. All machines are typically described by a
power rating. A power rating indicates the rate at which a machine can do work upon other
objects. How can you tell the power rating of an appliance? Each appliance has a wattage. For
example, a 200-watt electric fan does 4 times as much work as a 50-watt bulb. The higher the
wattage of an appliance, the more work it does. But how come a 25-watt fluorescent lamp gives
off brighter light than a 50-watt bulb? Although the bulb does more work than a fluorescent lamp,
it is less efficient than the lamp. We will talk some more about this in Lesson 2.

Let’s Try This

List 5 appliances and their corresponding wattages. Arrange the appliances according to
increasing wattage. Write your answers in the table below.

Appliance Wattage

Have your Instructional Manager or Facilitator check your answers.

Let’s See What You Have Learned

A. Read the phrases carefully. Write W in the blank before the number if you think that
work is done in the situation. Write NW if no work is done.
_____1. A weight lifter lifting a barbell
_____2. A mango falling from a tree
_____3. A carabao dragging a cart
_____4. A construction worker lifting a permanently stuck manhole cover
_____5. A woman carrying a jug on her head while walking

8
 _____6. A farmer plowing his land
_____7. An athlete carrying a torch while running
_____8. A boy pushing very hard against a built-in cabinet
B. Rank each set of persons from the least powerful to the most powerful. Number them
from 1 to 5 and write the numbers in the first column of the table.
1. Rank Name Amount of Work Done Time Spe
Ana 20 joules 15 m
Ben 20 joules 45 m
Cita 20 joules 25 m
Dino 20 joules 35 m
Elena 20 joules 55 m

2. Rank Name Amount of Work Done Time Spe

Fely 15 joules 1h
Gary 60 joules 1h
Helen 37 joules 1h
Ian 7.5 joules 1h
Joy 58.5 joules 1h

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 27. Did you get a perfect
score? If you did, that’s very good. If you didn’t, that’s okay. Just review the parts of the lesson
that you did not understand very well. Afterward, you may proceed to Lesson 2.

Let’s Remember

♦ Work is the product of force and displacement. It is measured in joules.

♦ Power is work done per unit of time. It is measured in watts.

9
 LESSON 2

The Capacity to Do Work

You learned in Lesson 1 that even simple tasks can be considered work as long as they fulfill
the conditions for work. In this lesson, you will learn about energy, potential and kinetic energy,
the conservation of mechanical energy and efficiency.

Let’s Read

Nicky is very curious about the things around him. One day he got a pail of water, a plastic
glass and a leaf. He took a glass of water from the pail and poured it over the leaf he was holding.
He noticed that the leaf moved. He poured water again on the leaf, but this time he raised the
glass higher. He saw that the leaf moved more vigorously. Afterward, he got a container and put
the leaf inside. He slowly poured water into the container. He saw the leaf move slightly. Again,
he poured water into the container, but this time he did it faster. He noticed that the leaf was
swept away by the water.

Let’s Think About This

1. What happened to the leaf when Nicky poured water on it?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. Can you say that the water he poured did work on the leaf? Why?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3. When did the leaf move more vigorously?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 27.

Let’s Learn

The water Nicky poured moved the leaf. If the water moved the leaf, it means that it did
work on the leaf. The water is capable of doing work because it has energy.

Energy is the capacity to do work. It is measured in joules.

10
 Like water, you also have energy, which is why you are able to do work. You can push,
pull, lift, throw, etc. because you have energy. Not only humans can do work. As in the case of
the water in the story, objects around you are also capable of doing work.
In the situation you read about on page 10, you found out that the amount of work done on
the leaf was different when water was poured from a higher position and when it was poured
faster. This goes to show that the energy of the water was affected by the height from which it
was poured and by the speed with which it was poured. It had a larger amount of energy when
its location was higher and its movement was faster.
An object can store energy as the result of its location. We call this type of energy potential
energy. The higher the location of the object, the more capable it is of doing work. More
specifically the farther an object is from its equilibrium position, the greater is its potential energy.
This is the reason why you’d get hurt more if you were hit by an object which fell from the third
floor than if you were hit by an object from the second floor of a building. A rock falling from a
high mountain can cause more destruction because it has more potential energy.

Potential energy is the energy that an object has due to its position.

The other type of energy is called kinetic energy. An object which has motion—whether it
be vertical, horizontal or rotational—has kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is directly proportional to
speed. This means that the faster an object moves, the greater is its kinetic energy. This is the
reason why you are not allowed to swim in a fast-flowing river. The currents are so fast that
they’re capable of sweeping you away in an instant.
Kinetic energy is the energy which a moving object has.

Let’s Try This

Find something in your community that illustrates the concept of potential energy or kinetic
energy, for example, waterfalls, landslides, etc. Write in the space below what type of energy is
shown by the object/event you chose and your reason for saying so.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Have your Instructional Manager or Facilitator check your answers.

Let’s Try This

Drop an object from a certain height. Observe what happens to the object while it is falling.
Take note of the possible changes in the potential and kinetic energies of the object.

11
 Let’s Think About This

Answer the following questions.

1. At which point do you think the potential energy of the object was greatest?
_________________________________________________________________
2. As the object fell, it went nearer the ground. What happened to its potential energy?
_________________________________________________________________
3. Did the object have kinetic energy right before you dropped it to the ground? Why?
_________________________________________________________________
4. As the object fell, it sped up. What happened to its kinetic energy?
_________________________________________________________________
5. Is there a relationship between the change in the potential energy of the falling object
and the change in its kinetic energy? Explain your answer.______________________
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 27 and 28.

Let’s Learn

Let’s talk about what you observed about the object that you dropped. At the start the
object was at a certain height from the ground. As a result of this position, the object possessed
potential energy. Because this height is the farthest point the object would be from the ground (its
equilibrium position), its potential energy is greatest at this point. When you dropped it, it fell
nearer to the ground. Because its distance from the ground became smaller, its potential energy
decreased. It had zero potential energy right before it hit the ground.

Potential energy is greatest at this point.

s Potential energy decreases as the object falls down.

Potential energy is zero at this point.

12
 How about the kinetic energy of the object? Right before you dropped the object, it had
zero kinetic energy. The moment you dropped it, it gained kinetic energy. The longer it fell, the
more speed it gained. Thus, its kinetic energy increased. Its kinetic energy was greatest right
before it hit the ground.

Kinetic energy is zero at this point.

s
Kinetic energy increases as the object falls down.

Kinetic energy is greatest at this point.

Study the two preceding diagrams. How will you compare the changes in the potential
energy and kinetic energy of the object as it fell to the ground?
Right before you dropped the object, its potential energy was at its maximum while its
kinetic energy was zero. As it fell to the ground, it lost potential energy but gained a
corresponding amount of kinetic energy. Right before it hit the ground, its kinetic energy was at a
maximum while its potential energy was zero.

Greatest potential energy

Zero kinetic energy

s
Potential energy decreases.
Kinetic energy increases.

Zero potential energy

Greatest kinetic energy

Look at the diagram above. You can see that the potential energy of the object was
converted into kinetic energy as it fell to the ground. This illustrates the law of conservation of
mechanical energy. Mechanical energy is the energy acquired by an object upon which work
is done. When you lifted the object above the ground, you imparted mechanical energy to it in the
form of potential energy. When you dropped it to the ground, its mechanical energy remained the
same. However, it was transformed from potential energy to kinetic energy. This is what is stated
in the law of conservation of mechanical energy.

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 Mathematically speaking, you can express this as:
TME = PE + KE
where TME = total mechanical energy
PE = potential energy
KE = kinetic energy
Let’s consider again the object that you dropped to the ground. Let’s say that when you
lifted the object, you imparted 25 J of mechanical energy into it, all of which is in the form of
potential energy. Thus,
TME = PE + KE
= 25 J + 0
Let’s say that after you dropped the object, it gained 8 J of kinetic energy.
Thus,
TME = PE + KE
= 17 J + 8 J
After .5 second, the object gained more kinetic energy.
TME = PE + KE
= 10 J + 15 J
Right before it hit the ground, all of its mechanical energy is in the form of kinetic energy.
Hence,
TME = PE + KE
= 0 J + 25 J
The total mechanical energy of the object did not change in amount but changed only in
form.
What if a strong wind blew as the object fell? Would its total mechanical energy remain the
same? No, it would not because another force is doing work on the object, imparting a different
amount of mechanical energy to the object.

The law of conservation of mechanical energy states that as long as there are no
external forces, the total mechanical energy of an object remains constant.

The law of conservation of mechanical energy holds true not only for falling objects. It
applies to all situations where an object that possesses stored energy moves and vice versa.

14
 Let’s look at the following situation.

Greatest potential energy

Zero kinetic energy
x2

Potential energy decreases.

Kinetic energy increases.
x1

x=0 Zero potential energy

Greatest kinetic energy

You found out earlier that an object gains potential energy when it is moved farther from its
equilibrium position. When a spring is compressed, it is removed from its relaxed position where
the amount of compression x is zero. The amount of compression at this point is x. The potential
energy of the spring is greatest just before it is released. Once it is released, its potential energy
decreases and its kinetic energy increases. You can see that as x decreases, so does the potential
energy of the spring. Finally, just as the spring returns to its equilibrium position (x = 0), the
kinetic energy is at its greatest while potential energy is zero.
The law of conservation of mechanical energy also applies to swinging objects. Let’s study
the illustration below.

Top of the swing

Greatest potential energy
Zero kinetic energy

Potential energy decreases.

Zero potential energy Kinetic energy increases.
Greatest kinetic energy
Bottom of the swing

A swinging pendulum exhibits conservation of mechanical energy. At the top of the swing it
is stationary (KE = 0) but has the greatest height (PE = maximum). At the bottom of the swing, it
is traveling fastest (KE = maximum) but is at the lowest level (PE = 0).

15
 Let’s Try This

Below is a picture of a swinging pendulum of a clock. Fill in the blanks to indicate the
missing values of kinetic energy and potential energy.

1. PE = 50 J 5. PE = ____
KE = ____ KE = 0 J
2. PE = ____ 4. PE = 25 J
KE = 25 J KE = ____
3. PE = ____
KE = 50 J

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28.

Let’s Learn

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. The total amount of energy within a system is
conserved. The energy can change forms but the total amount is fixed. Many energy
transformations, however, produce heat which lowers the efficiency of the change.
The efficiency of an energy transformation is the ratio of the energy output to the energy
input. It is expressed in the equation:
actual energy output
Efficiency = × 100%
energy input
For a heat engine, the actual output is the work done by the engine while the input is the heat
absorbed by the engine. Most engines that produce heat (cars, trains, etc.) are never more than
40% efficient. For every 10 liters of fuel put into a car, only 4 liters is used to propel it; the rest is
lost as heat and sound. However, a diesel engine is more efficient than a gasoline engine because
it converts most of the chemical energy input from the fuel into mechanical energy output that
makes the vehicle run. A fluorescent lamp, which has less wattage than a bulb, is more efficient
because it needs less energy input in order to give off more light.

Let’s See What You Have Learned

1. Write in the blank before each number what is being described or defined.
______________ a. The capacity to do work
______________ b. Energy which is due to an object’s position
______________ c. Energy of a moving object
______________ d. The measure of how well an object produces an energy
output from an energy input
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2. Study the following pictures. In which situation does the object have the greatest
potential energy?

a b c d

3. The speeds of a cart at three points are listed below. At which point does it have the
greatest kinetic energy?
Point A B
Speed 2.5 m/s 2.25 m/s

4. Fill up the table below with the correct values of potential energy and kinetic energy at
each point.
Point A B
Potential energy 15 ______
Kinetic energy 0 5
Total energy 15 ______

5. The work inputs of machines A, B, C and D are all the same. Listed below are their
work outputs. Identify the least efficient machine and the most efficient machine.
Machine A B
Work output 20 joules 17.5 joules 10

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28.

Let’s Remember

♦ Energy is the capacity to do work. It is measured in joules.

♦ Potential energy is the energy which an object has due to its position.
♦ The farther an object is from its equilibrium position, the more potential energy it has.
♦ Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by a moving object.
♦ The faster an object moves, the greater kinetic energy it has.
♦ The law of conservation of mechanical energy states that as long as external forces
are absent, the total mechanical energy of an object is constant.
♦ Efficiency is the ratio of the useful energy delivered by a system to the energy
supplied to it.
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 LESSON 3

Tools for an Easy Life

In lessons 1 and 2 you learned about work and energy. In this lesson, you will learn about the
tools which can make your work easier. Every day, you use different tools to help you do work.

Let’s Try This

Choose from among the tools inside the box the one that you could use in each of the
following situations. Write the letter only on the line before the number.

c. d.
a.

e.
f. g. h.

b.

i.
k.

j.
l.

_______1. Your father made a study table but found that one leg is shorter than the
others. He now needs to remove the short leg and replace it with the
appropriate one. He asked you to bring the tool necessary to replace the
leg. What would you get him?
_______2. You are about to transfer to a new house and are loading your furniture and
other things in boxes into the moving truck. Some of the boxes are really
heavy so you are having a hard time pulling them up into the truck. What
will you use?
_______3. You need to make a bonfire. The logs you gathered are bigger than
necessary. What tool will you use to chop them into the desired size?
_______4. On a summer afternoon, you drop by a store to buy a soft drink. When the
bottle is handed to you, it still isn’t open. What will you use to open it?

18
 _______5. The grass in your yard has already grown high. Your mother asks you to trim
it. What tool will you use?
_______6. You load your old toys and clothes into a big box to be given to an
orphanage. But the box is too heavy for you to carry across the floor to the
front door. What will you use to get this task done?
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28.

Let’s Learn

From the activity, you can see that you can choose from different tools to do a particular
task. Each tool may affect the ease and speed of your work in a different way. For example, to
cut grass, you can use either scissors or shears. But it is best that you use shears because they are
larger and make your work easier. You can use an inclined plane and a pulley to raise a heavy
box. But it is easier to raise the box using a pulley because you will need less force.
The simple tools you use to make your work easy are what you call simple machines.
Simple machines are used because they lessen the amount of force needed to do work. The force
required to do work is what you call effort. For example, when you raise a box using a pulley,
you are doing the same amount of work that you’ll do if you raise the box with your bare hands.
However, you exert less effort in doing so.
Simple machines include the wedge, lever, pulley, inclined plane, screw and wheel and
axle.
Let us find out the characteristics of each type of simple machine.
Inclined plane—A plane is a flat surface. When it is inclined or slanted, it can help you
move objects across distances. It permits you to overcome a large resistance by applying a
relatively small force through a distance longer than the height to which the load is to be raised.

Resistance

s
s

Force

Height

Inclined plane

19
 A common example of an inclined plane is a ramp. Lifting a heavy box onto a loading dock
is much easier if you slide the box up a ramp.

Wedge—Instead of using the smooth side of the inclined plane,

you can also use the pointed edges to do other kinds of work.
Thus, the inclined plane can be used as a wedge. A wedge is
used for separating, holding, stopping, chopping and shaving.
Scissors, chisels, axes, shears and blades are wedges.

Screw—A screw can be described as a cylinder with an inclined

plane wrapped around it. It is essentially a transfer device for
motion and/or force. How does the screw help you do work?
Every turn of a metal screw helps you move a piece of metal
through a wooden space. A screw can raise weights and press or
fasten objects. Screws include door locks, swivel chairs and
drills.

Lever—Any tool that pries something loose is a lever. A lever is

an arm that pivots (turns) against a fulcrum (point). The claw end
of a hammer is a lever. It’s a curved arm that rests against a point
(a nail) on a surface. As you rotate the curved arm, it pries the
nail loose from the surface.
Other examples of levers include jackhammers, screwdrivers,
bottle openers, spoons and forks and baseball bats.

Wheel and axle—This is a wheel with a rod through its center.

A wheel and axle moves or lifts loads. Wheels and axles include
rolling pins, bicycles, eggbeaters, pencil sharpeners, doorknobs,
wagons, roller skates, electric fans and windmills.

Pulley—A pulley uses grooved wheels and a rope to raise,

lower or move a load. Window blinds, flagpoles, clothesline
pulleys and steam shovels are examples of pulleys.

20
 Let’s Try This

Get two unopened bottles of soft drink. Find two bottle openers that you can use to open
the bottles. One bottle opener should be shorter than the other. Remove the caps using the two
bottle openers.

Let’s Think About This

Answer the following questions.

1. What type of simple machine is a bottle opener? ____________________________
2. Did you do equal amounts of work on the bottle caps although you used different
bottle openers?
_________________________________________________________________
3. Which bottle opener helped you remove the cap more easily?
_________________________________________________________________
4. Why was it easier to use? _____________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29.

Let’s Learn

Bottle openers are levers. Although you used different openers in removing the caps, the
amount of work you did on one bottle cap was the same as the work you did on the other cap.
However, using different openers affected how easily you removed the cap. Did you find it a lot
easier to use the longer opener? You should, because the longer handle requires less effort to do
the same work. This is also the reason why it is easier to open the lid of a milk can using a spoon
rather than a coin. It is also easier to pull out a nail using a crowbar or hammer with a long handle.
Have you seen drivers changing their flat tires? What do they usually use to remove the screws of
their tires? They use a wrench and attach a pipe on it so it will be longer. In that way, they will not
have to apply much force in removing the screws.
However, making the handle longer is not enough. You have to know the location of the
fulcrum. In the case of the bottle cap, the fulcrum is on the cap. After knowing this, you can
choose where to apply force on the handle. If you apply force farther from the turning point, you
will exert less effort. A longer handle made it easier to remove the cap.
A door is also a lever. The fulcrum is at the hinge of the door. When you open the door and
push near the hinge, it is harder to open the door. But when you push far from the hinge, it is
easier to open. This is the reason why it is more practical to put doorknobs very far from the
hinge, so people will have no difficulty in opening and closing doors.
To make work easy using a lever, there are two things that should be remembered. First,
know where the fulcrum of the lever is. Second, apply force far from the fulcrum so that less
effort is required.

21
 Let’s Try This

Name some levers you commonly use at home. Plan how you can use them to your
advantage.
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Have your answers checked by your Instructional Manager or Facilitator.

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Answer the following questions.

1. Below is an illustration of a wrench. Where should you apply force so that you could
turn the nut with the least effort? ______________________

a b c d

• • • •

2. On which point should you lift the lid of the box below if you want to exert a lot of
effort? ___________________________________________________________

a b c d

3. Give two examples of wedges.

a.
b.
4. Give two examples of levers.
a.
b.
5. Give two examples of inclined planes.
a.
b.
22
 6. Give two examples of wheels and axles.
a.
b
7. Give two examples of pulleys.
a.
b
8. Give two examples of screws.
a.
b
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29. Did you get a perfect
score? If you did, that’s very good. If you did not, that’s okay. Just review the parts of the lesson
that you did not understand very well.

Let’s Remember

♦ Simple machines are tools that make our work easy.

♦ Effort is the force required to do work using a simple machine.
♦ There are six basic types of simple machines: screw, wedge, lever, pulley, wheel and
axle and inclined plane.
♦ To make work easy using a lever, there are two things that should be remembered:
First, know where the fulcrum of the lever is. Second, apply force far from the fulcrum
so that less effort is needed.
You have now reached the end of the module. Congratulations! Did you enjoy studying this
module? Did you learn a lot from it? The following is a summary of its main points to help you
remember them better.

Let’s Sum Up

This module tells us that:

♦ Work is the product of force and displacement. It is measured in joules.
♦ Power is the amount work done per unit time. It is measured in watts.
♦ Energy is the capacity to do work. It is measured in joules.
♦ Potential energy is the energy which an object has due to its position.
♦ Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by a moving object.
♦ The law of conservation of mechanical energy states that in the absence of external
forces, the total mechanical energy of an object is conserved.

23
♦ Efficiency is a measure of how well an object produces an energy output from an
energy input.
♦ Simple machines are simple tools that make work easier to do.
♦ Effort is the force required to do work using a simple machine.
♦ There are six basic types of simple machines—screw, wedge, lever, pulley, wheel and
axle and inclined plane.

What Have You Learned?

A. Identify what is being described by each of the following. Write your answer in the
space provided.
1. The product of force and displacement _______________________________
2. The amount of work done per unit time_______________________________
3. The capacity to do work__________________________________________
4. Energy that is due to an object’s position______________________________
5. Energy possessed by a moving object ________________________________
6. The measure of how well an object produces an energy output from an energy
input_________________________________________________________
7. Tools that are used to make work easier to do__________________________
8. The force required to do work using a tool ____________________________
B. Read and answer each of the following questions. Explain all your answers.
1. Tarzan is on top of a tall tree. He reaches for a vine and swings to the next tree.
Where is Tarzan when his potential energy is greatest? ____________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. Myla got tired of transferring her things from her room to the next room. Did
Myla really do work? ____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. Two boys are racing against each other. The taller boy runs faster than the shorter
one. Who has less kinetic energy? ___________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. Machine A has a work input of 50 joules and an output of 25 joules. Machine B
has a work input of 100 joules and an output of 50 joules. Which machine is
more efficient? _________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

24
 5. Simon is given two poles he can use in raising a boulder. Pole 1 is longer than
pole 2. Which pole should he use so he could lift the boulder easily?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29.
If you got a score of:
0–3 You should study the whole module again.
4–7 Good! Just review the lessons you did not fully understand.
8–11 Very good! Just review the items which you missed.
12–13 Excellent! You really understood the module. You are now ready for the next
module.

25
 Answer Key

A. Let’s See What You Already Know (pages 1–3)

A. 1. b
2. a
3. e
4. f
5. d
B. 1. Mary was the one who did work because she was able to move the pot.
2. The pot on top of the table has more potential energy because it is farther
from the ground.
3. Sapang Mabilis has more kinetic energy because it flows faster.
4. B1 is more efficient because it produces more output.
C. 1. 0 joule
2. 45 joules
3. 30 joules
4. 15 joules
5. 60 joules
D. Lever Wedge Wheel and Axle
crowbar knife doorknob
jackhammer ax eggbeater
scissors

B. Lesson 1
Let’s Think About This (page 5)
1. Yes.
2. The woman pushing the box
3. The woman does work because she is able to move the box.
Let’s Think About This (page 7)
1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.

26
 4. Isabel.
5. Isabel.
Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 8–9)
A. 1. W
2. W
3. W
4. NW
5. NW
6. W
7. NW
8. NW
B. 1. 1—Elena
2—Ben
3—Dino
4—Cita
5—Ana
2. 1—Ian
2—Fely
3—Helen
4—Joy
5—Gary

C. Lesson 2
Let’s Think About This (page 10)
1. The leaf moved.
2. The water did work on the leaf because the leaf moved.
3. The leaf moved more vigorously when Nicky poured the water faster and when
he poured it from a higher position.
Let’s Think About This (page 12)
1. The potential energy of the object was greatest right before it was released.
2. The potential energy decreased.
3. No, it did not have kinetic energy because it was not moving.

27
 4. The kinetic energy increased.
5. Yes, because as the potential energy decreased, the kinetic energy increased.
Let’s Try This (page 16)
1. 0
2. 25 J
3. 0
4. 25 J
5. 50 J
Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 16–17)
1. a. energy
b. potential energy
c. kinetic energy
d. efficiency
2. The potential energy of the ball is the same in all situations because the ball is at
the same elevation from the ground.
3. The cart has the greatest kinetic energy at point C.
4. 1. 10
2. 15
3. 10
4. 15
5. 0
6. 15
5. Least efficient: machine C
Most efficient: machine A

D. Lesson 3
Let’s Try This (pages 18–19)
1. b
2. e
3. d
4. l
5. i
6. c

28
 Let’s Think About This (page 21)
1. The bottle opener is a lever.
2. Yes.
3. The bottle opener with the longer handle helped remove the cap more easily.
4. It was easier to use because its handle is longer.
Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 22–23)
1. d
2. d
3. Choose two from the following: chisel, ax, shears, blades, scissors.
4. Choose two from the following: jackhammer, screwdriver, bottle opener, spoon,
fork, baseball bat, hammer claw.
5. Choose two from the following: ramp, roller coaster, dump truck, hill, stairs,
ladder.
6. Choose two from the following: pencil sharpener, rolling pin, bicycle, eggbeater,
doorknob, wagon, roller skates, electric fan, windmill.
7. Choose two from the following: window blinds, flagpole, clothesline pulley, steam
shovel.
8. Choose two from the following: door lock, swivel chair, drill.

E. What Have You Learned? (pages 24–25)

A. 1. work
2. power
3. energy
4. potential energy
5. kinetic energy
6. efficiency
7. simple machines
8. effort
B. 1. Tarzan’s potential energy is greatest when he is on top of the tree because
he is farthest from the ground in that position.
2. Myla did no work because the line of force she exerted is vertical while her
displacement is horizontal.
3. The shorter boy has less kinetic energy because he runs slower.
4. The machines have the same efficiency.
5. Simon should choose pole 1 because it is longer, thus, less effort will be
needed.
29
 Glossary

Displacement The difference between the initial position of something and any later
position.
Efficiency The ratio of the useful energy delivered by a system to the energy supplied to it.
Effort Effective force in doing work.
Energy Capacity to do work.
Force The product of the mass and acceleration of an object.
Kinetic energy Energy of a moving object.
Potential energy Energy which an object has due to its position.
Power Work done per unit time.
Simple machine Tools that make work easier to do.
Work Product of force and displacement; measured in joules.

References

Hewitt, Paul. Conceptual Physics. U.S.A.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc.,1987.

Young, Hugh D. University Physics. U.S.A.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc.,1992.

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