Additional Sample Problems:

1. The old oaken bucket that hangs in the well has a mass of 4 kg. We pull it up a distance of 5 m by pulling
horizontally on a rope passing over a pulley at the top of the well.
a. How much work do we do in pulling the bucket up?
b. How much work is done by the gravitational force acting on the bucket?
Given: m = 4 kg
d=5m
a) T = w = mg
T = (4 kg)(9.81 m/s2) = 39.24 N

W = F x d = T x d (Note: The Tension is used since it is the

force that displaces the bucket vertically)
W = (39.24 N)(5 m)
W = 196.2 J

b) W = F x d = w x d (Note: The weight is used since the work

being asked is based on the gravitational force)
W = (39.24 N)(5 m)
W = 196.2 J

2. A ketchup bottle is pushed 2 m along a stationary horizontal surface by a horizontal force 2 N. The opposing
force of friction is 0.4 N.
a. How much work is done by the 2 N force?
b. How much work is done by the friction force?
Given: d = 2 m
F=2N
Ff = 0.4 N
a) W = F x d
W = (2 N)(2 m)
W=4J
b) W = Ff x d
W = (-0.4 N)(2 m) (Note: The Friction force is negative since the direction of the displacement is
opposite to that of the direction of the friction force.)
W = -0.8 J

3. A block of mass 8 kg is pushed 5 m along a horizontal frictionless surface by a horizontal force of 40 N. The
block starts from rest.
a. How much work is done?
b. Check the answer by computing the acceleration of the block, its final velocity, and its kinetic energy.
Given: m = 8 kg
d= 5m
F = 40 N
Vi = 0
a) W = F x d
W = (40 N)(5 m)
W = 200 J
 b) F = ma (Note: This formula was from the Newton’s Laws)
40 N = (8 kg) (a)
2
a = 5 m/s

2 2
Vf = Vi + 2as
Vf 2 = (0)2 + (2)(5 m/s2)(5 m)
Vf = 7.07 m/s

KE= (1/2)mv2
2
KE = (1/2)(8 kg)(7.07 m/s)
(Note: use the complete value for the velocity to calculate the exact value of the Kinetic Energy)
KE = 200 J
(Note: Kinetic energy has the same value with the work)

4. A 12 kg block is pushed 20 m up the sloping surface of a plane inclined at angle of 37 o to the horizontal by a
constant force F of 120 N acting parallel to the plane. The coefficient of friction between the block and plane
is 0.25, and the block starts from rest.
a. What is the work done by the force F?
b. Compute the increase in kinetic energy of the block?
c. Compute the increase in potential energy of the block.
d. Compute the work done by the friction force.
Given: m = 12 kg
d = 20 m
F = 120 N
μ = 0.25
Vi = 0
a) W = F x d
W = (120 N)(20 m)
W = 2400 J
b)

(Note: Still, this is from Newton’s Law of acceleration. We used the summation of
horizontal forces since the movement of the object is in horizontal motion.)
 c) ( )

(Note: the height used is the vertical distance, not the inclined distance)

d) W = Ff x d
W = (-23.51 N)(20 m)
W = -470.20 J

5. A man of mass 80 kg sits on a platform suspended from a movable pulley and raises himself at constant speed
by rope passing over a fixed pulley. Assuming frictionless pulley, find
a. The force he must exert.
b. The increase in his energy when he raises himself 1 m.
Given: m = 80 kg
a)
=

b)

6. A barrel of mass 120 kg is suspended by a rope 10 m long.

a. What horizontal force is necessary to hold the barrel in a position displaced sideways 2 m from the
vertical?
b. How much work is done in moving it to this position?
Given: m = 120 kg
d = 10 m
a)
 c) (Note: this is from the Pythagorean theorem, used to the right triangle
created by the length of rope (hypotenuse) and the horizontal distance 2 m (short side) to
calculate the value of the third side (10-d).)

(Note: 2 m is the distance used since force F=240.36 is a horizontal

force so the d to be used must be the horizontal displacement)
(This is work due to force F)

(Note: 0.2 m is the distance used since force weight is a

vertictal force so the d to be used must be the vertical displacement)
(This is work due to gravitational force weight)

7. A pump is required to lift 800 kg (about 200 gallons) of water per minute from a well, 10 m deep and eject it
with a speed of 20 m/s.
a. How much work is done per minute in lifting the water?
b. By how much in giving it kinetic energy?
c. HP of the engine required?
Given: m = 800 kg/min
d = 10 m
V = 20 m/s
a) W = F x d = w x d
W = (800 kg)(9.81 m/s2)(10 m)
W = 78480 J/min
b)

c)

8. A 2000 kg elevator starts from rest and is pulled upward with constant acceleration of 4 m/s 2.
a. Find the tension in the supporting cable?
b. What is the velocity of the elevator after it has risen 15 m?
c. Find the kinetic energy of the elevator 3 s after it starts.
d. How much is its potential energy increased in the first 3 s?
Given: m = 2000 kg
Vi = 0 m/s
a = 4 m/s
a) T = w = mg = (2000)(9.81)
T = 19620 N
b)
 c)

d)

MT-Homework No. 01
Copy and answer the following problems on a formatted bond paper. Show your solutions and add illustrations if
needed. Use two columns.
1. A fisherman reels in 20 m of line in pushing in a fish that exerts a constant resisting force of 30 N. How
much work does the fisherman do?
2. A water skier is pulled by a tow rope behind a boat. He skis off to the side, and the rope makes an angle of
20o with his direction of motion. The tension in the rope is 120 N. How much work is done on the skier by
the rope during a displacement of 500 m?
3. An electron strikes the screen of a cathode-ray-tube with a velocity of 107 m/s, compute its kinetic energy
in Joules. The mass of an electron is 9.11 x 10-31 kg.
4. A 5 kg block is lifted vertically at constant velocity of 4 m/s through a height of 12 m.
a. How great a force is required?
b. How much work is done?
5. At 5 cents per KWh, how much does it cost to operate a 10 HP motor for 8 hr?
6. A man whose mass is 70 kg walks up to the third floor of a building. This is a vertical height of 12 m above
the street level.
a. How many joules of work has he done?
b. By how much has he increased his potential energy?
c. If he climbs the stairs in 20 s, what was his rate of working in HP?