Lesson No.

7: Sample Problem (Exercises) : Work

1. Ma’am Miergas pulls a wooden box 5m across a frictionless plane by a cord, applying a force of
constant magnitude 80N. During the first 2m the cord is parallel to the floor. During the last 3m
the cord made an angle of 30⁰ with the horizontal direction.
a. What is the resultant work done by Ma’am Miergas on the wooden box?

2. A horizontal force F is required to maintain a velocity of 2 m/sec for a Container with a mass of
10kg sliding over a certain rough surface. If the coefficient of sliding friction is 0.25, how much
work is done by the force F in 1 minute?

3. A block with a mass of 30 kg is dragged across a horizontal surface using a rope attached to the
front end of the block which makes an angle of 30⁰ with the horizontal. The coefficient of kinetic
friction is 0.30. Find,
a. The force F exerted by the rope.
b. The work done in dragging the block over a distance of 15m.

Lesson No. 7 – Work

Solution to Sample Problem (Exercises) :
1. Ma’am Miergas pulls a wooden box 5m across a frictionless plane by a cord, applying a force of
constant magnitude 80N. During the first 2m the cord is parallel to the floor. During the last 3m the
cord made an angle of 30⁰ with the horizontal direction.

Given Figure: Ma’am Miergas Cord

Wooden Box
W1 = ? W2 = ? F = 80N
F = 80N Box 30⁰

Floor Cord
S1 = 2m S1 = 3m
ST = 5m

Required:
a. The resultant work done by Ma’am Miergas on the wooden box.
Solution:
a. Solving the resultant work done by Ma’am Miergas on the wooden box.
WR = W1 + W2
Then solving for W1 and W2 , using the Work Formula,
1. For Work ( W1 ),
W = F · S1 = 80N (2m)
W1 = 160 N.m or J

2. For Work ( W2 ),
W2 = F cos θ · S2
W2 = 80N cos 30⁰ (3m)
W2 = 207.85 N.m or J
Therefore: For Resultant Work, substitute and simplify,
WR = W1 + W2
WR = 160 J + 207.85 J
WR = 367.85 N.m or J Answer
2. A horizontal force F is required to maintain a velocity of 2 m/sec for a Container with a mass of
10kg sliding over a certain rough surface. If the coefficient of sliding friction is 0.25, how much
work is done by the force F in 1 minute?
Given Figure:
MC = 10kg W=?
Container
V = 2 m/s
F F
Rough surface Fk
SC = ? Uk = 0.25
t1 = 1 min

Required:
a. The work done by the Force F in 1 minute.
Solution:
a. Solving the work done by the Force F in 1 minute, using the work formula,
W=F·S
Then solving for the Force F and distance S,
1. For the Force F
Illustration: From Free-body Diagram (FBD) of the container,
+y

NC
Fk F
–x +x

Uk = 0.25 WC

–y

Applying the 1st Condition of Equilibrium (First Newton’s Law),

a. For Σ Fx = Σ Fh = 0 , + –
F – Fk = 0
F = Fk
Since: Fk = Uk N
Then, substitute the value,
F = Fk
F = Uk N → Eq. 1

Solving for the Normal Force (NC),

b. For Σ Fy = Σ Fv = 0 , + –
NC – WC = 0
NC = WC = MC g
Then substitute the values,
NC = MC g = 10kg (9.81 m/s2)
NC = 98.10 N

And, solving for the Force F, From Eq. 1, subst. and simplify.
F = Uk N → Eq. 1
F = 0.25 (98.10 N)
F = 24.525 N
 2. For the distance S, using kinematics equation formula,
S = Vt
Since: t = 1 min x 60 sec Then: substitute and simplify,
1 min S = Vt
t = 60 sec S = 2 m/s (60 s)
S = 120 m

Therefore: Solving the work done by the Force F in 1 minute,

W=F·S
Therefore: substitute and simplify,
W = F · S = 24.525 N (120 m)
W = 2,943 N.m or J

3. A block with a mass of 30 kg is dragged across a horizontal surface using a rope attached to the
front end of the block which makes an angle of 30⁰ with the horizontal. The coefficient of kinetic
friction is 0.30.
Given Figure: Rope

Block Mb = 30kg F=?

30⁰
Fk
Sb = 15m
Uk = 0.30
Required:
a. The Force F exerted by the rope.
b. The work done in dragging the block over a distance of 15m.
Solution:
a. Solving the Force F exerted by the rope, from Free-body Diagram of 30 kg Mass block and x
and y component of Force F,
+y F=?
Nb Fy = F sin 30⁰
Fk 30⁰
–x +x
Fx = F cos 30⁰
W b = Mb g
–y
Applying the 1st Condition of Equilibrium (First Newton’s Law),
1. For Σ Fx = Σ Fh = 0 , + –
Fx – Fk = 0
Fx = Fk
Since:
a. Fk = Uk N
b. Fx = F cos 30⁰
Then, substitute the values from the Equation,
Fx = Fk
F cos 30⁰ = Uk N → Eq. 1
And applying the same formula; solving for the Normal Force (N),
2. For Σ Fy = Σ Fv = 0 , + –
Nb + Fy – Wb = 0
Nb = Wb – Fy
 Since:
a. Wb = Mb g = 30kg (9.81 m/s2) = 294.30 N
b. Fy = F sin 30⁰ = 0.50 F
Then: Substitute the values from the Equation,
Nb = Wb – Fy
N = 294.30 N – 0.50 F → Eq. 2
Therefore: Solving for the Force F exerted by the rope, substitute Eq. 2 into Eq. 1 and
simplify,
F cos 30⁰ = Uk N → Eq. 1
F cos 30⁰ = Uk N = 0.30 ( 294.30 N – 0.5 F )
F cos 30⁰ = 88.29 N – 0.15 F
0.15 F + cos 30⁰ F = 88.29 N
88.29 N___
F=
0.15 + cos 30⁰
F = 86.90 N Answer

b. Solving the work done in dragging the block over a distance of 15m, using the Work Formula,
W = F · S = Fx · S Since: Fx = F cos θ = F cos 30⁰
Therefore: Substitute the values and simplify,
W = F cos 30⁰ · S
W = 86.90 N cos 30⁰ (15 m)
W = 1,128.86 N.m or J Answer
// Answer