Work, Energy and Power: Problem Set Overview

This set of 32 problems targets your ability to use equations related to work
and power, to calculate the kinetic, potential and total mechanical energy,
and to use the work-energy relationship in order to determine the final speed,
stopping distance or final height of an object. The more difficult problems are
color-coded as blue problems.

Work
Work results when a force acts upon an object to cause a displacement (or a
motion) or, in some instances, to hinder a motion. Three variables are of
importance in this definition - force, displacement, and the extent to which
the force causes or hinders the displacement. Each of these three variables
find their way into the equation for work. That equation is:
Work = Force • Displacement • Cosine(theta)
W = F • d • cos(theta)

Since the standard metric unit of force is the Newton and the standard
meteric unit of displacement is the meter, then the standard metric unit of
work is a Newton•meter, defined as a Joule and abbreviated with a J.
The most complicated part of the work equation and work calculations is the
meaning of the angle theta in the above equation. The angle is not just any
stated angle in the problem; it is the angle between the F and the d vectors.
In solving work problems, one must always be aware of this definition - theta
is the angle between the force and the displacement which it causes. If the
force is in the same direction as the displacement, then the angle is 0
degrees. If the force is in the opposite direction as the displacement, then the
angle is 180 degrees. If the force is up and the displacement is to the right,
then the angle is 90 degrees. This is summarized in the graphic below.

Power
Power is defined as the rate at which work is done upon an object. Like all
rate quantities, power is a time-based quantity. Power is related to how fast a
job is done. Two identical jobs or tasks can be done at different rates - one
slowly or and one rapidly. The work is the same in each case (since they are
identical jobs) but the power is different. The equation for power shows the
importance of time:
Power = Work / time
P=W/t
The unit for standard metric work is the Joule and the standard metric unit for
time is the second, so the standard metric unit for power is a Joule / second,
defined as a Watt and abbreviated W. Special attention should be taken so as
not to confuse the unit Watt, abbreviated W, with the quantity work, also
abbreviated by the letter W.
Combining the equations for power and work can lead to a second equation
for power. Power is W/t and work is F•d•cos(theta). Substituting the
expression for work into the power equation yields P = F•d•cos(theta)/t. If
this equation is re-written as
P = F • cos(theta) • (d/t)
one notices a simplification which could be made. The d/t ratio is the speed
value for a constant speed motion or the average speed for an accelerated
motion. Thus, the equation can be re-written as
P = F • v • cos(theta)
where v is the constant speed or the average speed value. A few of the
problems in this set of problems will utilize this derived equation for power.
In physics, work is defined as a force causing the movement — or
displacement — of an object. In the case of a constant force, work is the
scalar product of the force acting on an object and the displacement
caused by that force. Though both force and displacement
are vector quantities, work has no direction due to the nature of a scalar
product (or dot product) in vector mathematics. This definition is
consistent with the proper definition because a constant force integrates
to merely the product of the force and distance.

Read on to learn some real-life examples of work as well as how to

calculate the amount of work being performed.

Examples of Work
There are many examples of work in everyday life. The Physics
Classroom notes a few: a horse pulling a plow through the field; a father
pushing a grocery cart down the aisle of a grocery store; a student lifting
a backpack full of books upon her shoulder; a weightlifter lifting a barbell
above his head; and an Olympian launching the shot-put.

In general, for work to occur, a force has to be exerted on an object

causing it to move. So, a frustrated person pushing against a wall, only to
exhaust himself, is not doing any work because the wall does not move.
But, a book falling off a table and hitting the ground would be considered
work, at least in terms of physics, because a force (gravity) acts on the
book causing it to be displaced in a downward direction.

What's Not Work

Interestingly, a waiter carrying a tray high above his head, supported by
one arm, as he walks at a steady pace across a room, might think he's
working hard. (He might even be perspiring.) But, by definition, he is not
doing any work. True, the waiter is using force to push the tray above his
head, and also true, the tray is moving across the room as the waiter
walks. But, the force — the waiter's lifting of the tray — does
not cause the tray to move. "To cause a displacement, there must be a
component of force in the direction of the displacement," notes The
Physics Classroom.

Calculating Work
The basic calculation of work is actually quite simple:

W = Fd

Here, "W" stands for work, "F" is the force, and "d" represents
displacement (or the distance the object travels). Physics for Kids gives
this example problem:

A baseball player throws a ball with a force of 10 Newtons. The ball

travels 20 meters. What is the total work?

To solve it, you first need to know that a Newton is defined as the force
necessary to provide a mass of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) with an
acceleration of 1 meter (1.1 yards) per second. A Newton is generally
abbreviated as "N." So, use the formula:
W = Fd

Thus:

W = 10 N * 20 meters (where the symbol "*" represents times)

So:

Work = 200 joules

A joule, a term used in phys