Chapter 8A.

Work
A PowerPoint Presentation by
Paul E. Tippens, Professor of Physics
Southern Polytechnic State University

© 2007
Three things are necessary for the
performance of work:
• There must be an applied force F.
• There must be a displacement x.
• The force must have a component
along the displacement.

F F
q q
x
 If a force does not affect
displacement, it does no work.

The force F exerted on the

pot by the man does work.
F
The earth exerts a force W on
W pot, but does no work even
though there is displacement.
 Definition of Work
Work is a scalar quantity equal to the
product of the displacement x and the
component of the force Fx in the
direction of the displacement.

Work = Force component X displacement

Work = Fx x
 Positive Work
x F

Force F contributes to displacement x.

Example: If F = 40 N and x = 4 m, then

Work = (40 N)(4 m) = 160 Nm

Work = 160 J 1 Nm = 1 Joule (J)

 Negative Work
x f

The friction force f opposes the displacement.

Example: If f = -10 N and x = 4 m, then

Work = (-10 N)(4 m) = - 40 J

Work = - 40 J
Resultant Work or Net Work
Resultant work is the algebraic sum of
the individual works of each force.

x f F

Example: F = 40 N, f = -10 N and x = 4 m

Work = (40 N)(4 m) + (-10 N)(4 m)

Work = 120 J
 Resultant Work (Cont.)
Resultant work is also equal to the
work of the RESULTANT force.

4 m -10 N 40 N

Example: Work = (F - f) x
Work = (40 - 10 N)(4 m)

Work = 120 J
 Work of a Force at an Angle
F = 70 N
Work = Fx x x = 12 m
60o
Work = (F cos q) x

Work = (70 N) Cos 600 (12 m) = 420 J

Only the x-component of

Work = 420 J the force does work!
 Procedure for Calculating Work
1. Draw sketch and establish what is given
and what is to be found.
2. Draw free-body diagram choosing
positive x-axis along displacement.
F
n x
q
+ Work = (F cos q) x
mg

3. Find work of a single force from formula.

4. Resultant work is work of resultant force.
 Example 1: A lawn mower is pushed a
horizontal distance of 20 m by a force of 200 N
directed at an angle of 300 with the ground.
What is the work of this force?

F x = 20 m
300

F = 200 N

Work = (F cos q ) x
Note: Work is
Work = (200 N)(20 m) Cos 300 positive since Fx
and x are in the
Work = 3460 J
same direction.
Example 2: A 40-N force pulls a 4-kg block a
horizontal distance of 8 m. The rope makes an
angle of 350 with the floor and uk = 0.2. What is
the work done by each acting on block?
x P
1. Draw sketch and q
find given values.
P = 40 N; x = 8 m, uk = 0.2; q = 350; m = 4 kg
2. Draw free-body P 40 N
diagram showing n
all forces. (Cont.) fk 350
mg +x
Work = (F cos q) x
x 8m
Example 2 (Cont.): Find Work Done by Each Force.

P 40 N P = 40 N; x = 8 m, uk = 0.2;
n q = 350; m = 4 kg
fk 350
4. First find work of P.
W = mg +x
x 8m Work = (P cos q) x

WorkP = (40 N) cos 350 (8 m) = 262 J

5. Next consider normal force n and weight W.
Each makes a 900 angle
WorkP = 0
with x, so that the works
Workn = 0
are zero. (cos 900=0):
 Example 2 (Cont.):

P 40 N P = 40 N; x = 8 m, uk = 0.2;
n q = 350; m = 4 kg
fk 350
+x WorkP = 262 J
W = mg
x 8m Workn = WorkW = 0

6. Next find work of friction. Recall: fk = mk n

n + P cos 350 – mg = 0; n = mg – P cos 350
n = (4 kg)(9.8 m/s2) – (40 N)sin 350 = 16.3 N
fk = mk n = (0.2)(16.3 N); fk = 3.25 N
 Example 2 (Cont.):
Workn = WorkW = 0 P 40 N
n
WorkP = 262 J fk 350
6. Work of friction (Cont.) +x
W = mg
fk = 3.25 N; x = 8 m x 8m

Workf = (3.25 N) cos 1800 (8 m) = -26.0 J

Note work of friction is negative cos 1800 = -1
7. The resultant work is the sum of all works:

262 J + 0 + 0 – 26 J (Work)R = 236 J

 Example 3: What is the resultant work on a
4-kg block sliding from top to bottom of the
300 inclined plane? (h = 20 m and mk = 0.2)
Net work = S (works)
f x
n Find the work of 3 forces.
h
mg 300 Work = (F cos q) x

First find magnitude of x from trigonometry:

x h 20 m
h sin 30 0
 x  40 m
300
sin 30 0
x
Example 3(Cont.): What is the resultant work
on 4-kg block? (h = 20 m and mk = 0.2)
1. First find x = 40 m
mg cos q f
x
work of mg. n
60
0

mg 2. Draw free- h
body mg 300
diagram
Work = mg(cos q) x
Work = (4 kg)(9.8 m/s2)(40 m) Cos 600
Work done by Positive
weight mg Work = 784 J Work
Example 3 (Cont.): What is the resultant work
on 4-kg block? (h = 20 m and mk = 0.2)

r 3. Next find work of

f
n friction force f which
h requires us to find n.
mg 300 4. Free-body diagram:
n
f n = mg cos 300= (4)(9.8)(0.866)
mg cos 300 n = 33.9 N f = mk n
300
mg f = (0.2)(33.9 N) = 6.79 N
Example 3 (Cont.): What is the resultant work
on 4-kg block? (h = 20 m and mk = 0.2)

r 5. Find work of friction force f

f
n using free-body diagram
h Work = (f cos q) x
mg 300
Work = (6.79 N)(20 m)(cos 1800)
f
1800 Work = (272 J)(-1) = -272 J
x Note: Work of friction is Negative.

WorkWhat work
of n is is done
0 since it isby
at the
rightnormal to x.n?
anglesforce
Example 3 (Cont.): What is the resultant work
on 4-kg block? (h = 20 m and mk = 0.2)

r Net work = S (works)

f
n Weight: Work = + 784 J
h
Friction: Work = - 272 J
mg 300
Force n: Work = 0 J
Resultant Work = 512 J

Note: Resultant work could have been

found by multiplying the resultant force by
the net displacement down the plane.
Graph of Force vs. Displacement
Assume that a constant force F acts
through a parallel displacement Dx.

Force, F
The area under the
curve is equal to the
F work done.
Area Work = F(x2 - x1)

x1 x2 Work  F Dx
Displacement, x
 Example for Constant Force
What work is done by a constant force of 40 N
moving a block from x = 1 m to x = 4 m?
Force, F
Work  F Dx
40 N
Work = F(x2 - x1)
Area
Work = (40 N)(4 m - 1 m)
1m 4m
Displacement, x Work = 120 J
 Work of a Varying Force
Our definition of work applies only for a
constant force or an average force.

What if the force varies with displacement as

with stretching a spring or rubber band?

F x

x F
 Hooke’s Law
When a spring is stretched, there is a restoring
force that is proportional to the displacement.

F = -kx

x The spring constant k is a property

of the spring given by:
F
m DF
K=
Dx
Work Done in Stretching a Spring
Work done ON the spring is positive;
work BY the spring is negative. x
From Hooke’s law: F = kx F
m
Work = Area of Triangle
Area = ½ (base)(height)
F = ½ (x)(Favg ) = ½ x(kx)

Work = ½ kx2
x
Compressing or Stretching a Spring
Initially at Rest:
Two forces are
always present: x x
the outside force
Fout ON spring and m
m
the reaction force Compressing
Fs BY the spring. Stretching

Compression: Fout does positive work and Fs

does negative work (see figure).
Stretching: Fout does positive work and Fs
does negative work (see figure).
Example 4: A 4-kg mass suspended from a
spring produces a displacement of 20 cm.
What is the spring constant?
The stretching force is the weight
(W = mg) of the 4-kg mass: 20 cm F
F = (4 kg)(9.8 m/s2) = 39.2 N m

Now, from Hooke’s law, the force

constant k of the spring is:

DF 39.2 N
k= = k = 196 N/m
Dx 0.2 m
Example 5: What work is required to
stretch this spring (k = 196 N/m)
from x = 0 to x = 30 cm?
Work  kx1
2
2

Work = ½(196 N/m)(0.30 m)2

Work = 8.82 J
F Note: The work to stretch
30 cm an additional 30 cm is
greater due to a greater
average force.
 General Case for Springs:
If the initial displacement is not zero, the
work done is given by:
Work  kx  kx
1
2
2
2
1
2
2
1

F
x1 x2
m
x1 x2 m
 Summary
F
Work = Fx x x
60o
Work = (F cos q) x

Work is a scalar quantity equal to the

product of the displacement x and the
component of the force Fx in the
direction of the displacement.
 Procedure for Calculating Work
1. Draw sketch and establish what is given
and what is to be found.
2. Draw free-body diagram choosing
positive x-axis along displacement.
F
n x
q
+ Work = (F cos q) x
mg

3. Find work of a single force from formula.

4. Resultant work is work of resultant force.
 Important Points for Work Problems:
1. Always draw a free-body diagram,
choosing the positive x-axis in the
same direction as the displacement.
2. Work is negative if a component of the
force is opposite displacement direction
3. Work done by any force that is at right
angles with displacement will be zero (0).
4. For resultant work, you can add the works
of each force, or multiply the resultant
force times the net displacement.
 Summary For Springs
Hooke’s Law:
x F = -kx
F Spring F
m k
Constant: x

The spring constant is the force exerted

BY the spring per unit change in its
displacement. The spring force always
opposes displacement. This explains the
negative sign in Hooke’s law.
 Summary (Cont.)
F
x1 x2
m
x1 x2 m

Work to Stretch a Spring:

Work = ½ kx 2 Work  2 kx2  2 kx1
1 2 1 2
Springs: Positive/Negative Work
Two forces are
always present: x +
the outside force x
Fout ON spring and m
the reaction force Compressing m
Fs BY the spring. Stretching

Compression: Fout does positive work and Fs

does negative work (see figure).
Stretching: Fout does positive work and Fs
does negative work (see figure).
 CONCLUSION:
Chapter 8A - Work