Chapter 5

Work and Energy

Definition of Work
 There is a difference between the ordinary
definition of work and the scientific definition
of work

 Ordinary Definition: To do something that

takes physical or mental effort

 Scientific definition: Work is equal to the

magnitude of the applied force times the
displacement of an object
What is necessary for work to be
done?
 A force that causes displacement of an object
does work on the object
 Therefore, work is not done on an object
unless the object is moved because of the
action of a force
Work is being done!!!
What is necessary for work to be
done?
 Work is done only when components of a
force are parallel to a displacement
 When the force on an object and the object’s
displacement are perpendicular, no work is
done No Work was Done!!!

Displacement

Force
What about forces at an angle?
 Only the component of force that is parallel to
the direction of the object’s displacement
does work.
 Example: A person pushes a box across a
frictionless floor
FBD For the Box
 What part of the applied force is parallel to
the displacement?
FN Displacement of Box

Fapp,x

Fapp,y

Fapp

Fg
General Equation For Work Done

W  Fd cos 
Work= Component of Force that does the work x
displacement x cos (angle between the force vector and
the displacement)
 Net Work done by a Constant Force
 If there are many constant forces acting on the
object, you can find the net work done by finding
the net force acting on the object

Wnet  Fnet d cos 

Net work= Net force x displacement x cos of the angle between them
 Angles between vectors

Vector Orientation Angle between Cos(θ)

them
Θ= 90 Cos(90) =0

Θ= 0 Cos(0) = 1

Θ= 180 Cos(180) = -1
Units for Work
 The unit for Work is the Joule

 I J= 1 Nm
 One Joule = One Newton x One meter
The sign of work is important
 Work is a scalar quantity, but it can be
positive or negative

 Work is negative when the force is in the

direction opposite the displacement
 For example, the work done by the frictional
force is always negative because the frictional
force is opposite the displacement
Sample Problem p. 193 # 10
 A flight attendant pulls her 70 N flight bag a
distance of 253 m along a level airport floor at
a constant velocity. The force she exerts is
40.0 N at an angle of 52.0° above the
horizontal. Find the following:
 The work she does on the flight bag
 The work done by the force of friction on the
flight bag
 The coefficient of kinetic friction between the
flight bag and the floor
FBD

FN Fapp

Fapp,y

Ff

Fapp,x

Fg
Work done by flight attendant
 Only the component of Fapp that is parallel to the
displacement does work.
 Fapp,x is parallel to the displacement
 Fapp,x = 40cos52 = 24.63 N

 Remember that in the W=Fdcosθ equation, θ

represents the angle between the force vector and the
displacement vector
Fapp,x Θ = 0°
d

 W= (24.63 N)(253 m) cos(0)= 6230 J

Work done by friction
 The bag is moving at constant velocity, so
what is Ff?
 Ff = Fapp,x= 40cos(52)= 24.62 N
Θ =180°
Ff d

 W= Fdcosθ= (24.62N)(253m)(cos180)
= -6230 J
Find μk
 What is FN?
Ff
 Fn + Fapp,y = Fg k 
FN
 Fn = Fg - Fapp,y= 70N- 40sin(52)= 38.48 N

Ff24.63
k    .64
FN 38.48
Energy- Section 5.2 p. 172
 Kinetic Energy- The energy of an object due
to its motion

I Have Kinetic I don’t Have Kinetic

Energy Energy
Kinetic Energy Depends on Speed and
Mass

1 2
KE  mv
2
 Kinetic energy = ½ x mass x speed2

 The unit for KE is Joules (J)

Sample Problem p. 173
 A 7.00 kg bowling ball moves at 3.0 m/s. How
much kinetic energy does the bowling ball
have? How fast must a 2.45 g tennis ball
move in order to have the same kinetic
energy as the bowling ball?
Solve the Problem
 KE= ½ mv^2= ½ (7kg)(3m/s)^2= 31.5 J

 How fast must 2.45 g ball move to have the

same KE?
 Convert g to kg  2.45 g = .00245 kg
 Solve for v

2 KE 2(31.5 J ) m
v   160
m .00245kg s
Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem
 The net work done by a net force acting on an
object is equal to the change in kinetic energy of
the object

Wnet  KE  KE f  KEi

 You must include all the forces acting on the

object for this to work!
Sample problem p. 176 #2
 A 2000 kg car accelerates from rest under the
actions of two forces. One is a forward force
of 1140 N provided by the traction between
the wheels and the road. The other is a 950 N
resistive force due to various frictional forces.
Use the work-KE theorem to determine how
far the car must travel for its speed to reach
2.0 m/s.
 What information do we have?
 M= 2000 kg
 Vi= 0m/s
 Vf= 2 m/s

Ffriction= 950 N Fforward= 1140 N

 What is the Work-Ke Theorem?

Wnet  KE  KE f  KEi

 Remember that:

1 2 1 2
Wnet  Fnet d cos  KE  mv f  mvi
2 2

 So Expand the equation to this:

1 2 1 2
Fnet d cos   mv f  mvi
2 2
 1 2 1 2
Fnet d cos   mv f  mvi
2 2

 Solve for Fnet

 Fnet= Fforward- Ffriction= 190 N forward

 Rearrange the equation for d and plug in values

1 2 1 2 1 1 2
 mv f  mvi   2000 2 2
 ( 2000)( 0 ) 
2 2 2 2
d    21m
F net cos  190 cos0

 Why is θ= 0 in the denominator? Because the net force is in the

same direction as the displacement.
Potential Energy  Section 5.2
 Potential Energy is stored energy

 There are two types of PE

 Gravitational PE
 Elastic PE
Gravitational Potential Energy
 Gravitational Potential Energy (PEg) is the
energy associated with an object’s position
relative to the Earth or some other gravitational
source
m
 PE g  mgh  mass x 9.81 2 x height
s
Elastic Potential Energy
 Elastic Potential Energy (PEelastic) is the potential
energy in a stretched or compressed elastic object.

1 2
PEelastic  kx
2
 k= spring (force) constant
 X= displacement of spring
Displacement of Spring
Sample Problem p. 180 #2
 The staples inside a stapler are kept in place
by a spring with a relaxed length of 0.115 m.
If the spring constant is 51.0 N/m, how much
elastic potential energy is stored in the spring
when its length is 0.150 m?
What do we know?
 K = 51.0 N/m

 We need to get x, in order to use the equation for

elastic PE

 X is the distance the spring is stretched or compressed

 Relaxed length is 0.115 m, stretched length is 0.150.

How much was it stretched?
 0.150- 0.115 m= 0.035 m= x
 Solve the problem

1 2 1
 kx  51.0.035  .031J
2
PEelastic
2 2
Conservation of Energy – 5.3
 The total amount of energy in the universe is
a constant

 So we say that energy is conserved

 From IPC: The Law of Conservation of

Energy: Energy can neither be created nor
destroyed
Mechanical Energy
 There are many types of energy (KE, PE,
Thermal, etc)

 We are concerned with Mechanical Energy

 Mechanical Energy is the sum of kinetic

energy and all forms of potential energy

 ME= KE + PE
Conservation of ME
 In the absence of
friction, mechanical
energy is conserved
MEi  ME f
 When friction is present,
ME can be converted to
other forms of energy
(i.e. thermal energy) so
it is not conserved.
Expanded Form of Conservation of
ME
 Without elastic PE

1 2 1 2
mvi  mghi  mv f  mgh f
2 2

 With elastic PE

1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
mvi  mghi  kxi  mv f  mgh f  kx f
2 2 2 2
Practice Problem p. 185 #2
 A 755 N diver drops from a board 10.0 m
above the water’s surface. Find the diver’s
speed 5.00 m above the water’s surface. Find
the diver’s speed just before striking the
water.
What do we know?
 W= 755 N
 Initial height = 10 m
 Vi= 0 m/s

 There is no elastic PE involved.

Solve part a.
 What is the diver’s speed 5.0 m above the
water’s surface?

 M= Weight/g=76.96 kg
 Vi= 0m/s
 Initial height = 10 m
 Final Height = 5 m
 Rearrange equation and solve for vf
Vi = 0 m/s
1 2 1 2
mvi  mghi  mv f  mgh f
2 2
1
mv 2f  mghi  mgh f
2

2mghi  mgh f  2((77)(9.81)(10)  (77)(9.81)(5) m

vf    10
m 77 s
Second Part
 What is the diver’s speed just before striking
the water?

 M= Weight/g=76.96 kg
 Vi= 0m/s
 Initial height = 10 m
 Final Height = 0 m
 Finish the Problem
Vi = 0 m/s

1 2 1 2 hf = 0

mvi  mghi  mv f  mgh f

2 2
1 2
mghi  mv f
2
2mghi m
vf   2 ghi  2(9.81)(10)  14
m s
Power- Section 5.4
 Power:The rate at
which work is done W Work
P 
t Time
 The unit for power is
Watts

 1 Watt = 1 J
1s
Alternate Form for Power

P  Fv  Force x Speed
Sample Problem (Not in book)
 At what rate is a 60 kg boy using energy when he
runs up a flight of stairs 10 m high in 8.0 s?

W Work
P 
t Time
 Time = 8 s

 What is work done?

 W=Fdcos(θ)
Solve the Problem
 What force does the boy apply to get himself
up the stairs?
 F= Weight= mg= 588.6 N
 d= 10m
 W= Fdcos(θ)=588.6N(10m)(cos(0))
 W=5886 J

 P=W/t = 5886 J/ 8s= 735.8 Watts