Natural Science 4: Energy & Change

Tutorial Questions: Mechanical Energy, Work, W-E Conservation

Section A: Drill & Practice

1. Complete the calculations below involving the kinetic energy of an object, paying careful attention to
units.

Mass Speed Kinetic Energy

20 kg 3.0 m.s-1
1.5 kg 2.2 m.s-1
500 g 0.80 m.s-1
4.0 m.s-1 300 J
250 g 2500 J
1500 kg 30 000 J
0.40 m.s-1 860 kJ
-1
1000 kg 60 m.s

2. Complete the calculations below involving the gravitational potential energy of an object, paying careful
attention to units.

Mass Height above ground Gravitational Potential Energy

20 kg 3.0 m
1.5 kg 2.2 km
500 g 0.80 m
4.0 m 300 J
50 cm 1000 J
8,0 g 860 J
0.40 kg 560 J

3. Complete the calculations below involving the elastic potential energy of an object.

Spring constant Extension/ compression Elastic Potential Energy

20 N.m-1 3.0 m
-1
1.5 N.cm 2.5 cm
500 N.m-1 0.080 m
4.0 cm 3.0 J
0.050 m 1.2 J
8.0 N.cm-1 0.60 J
-1
4000 N.m 0.56 J

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4. Complete the calculations below involving the mechanical work done by a single force.

Force exerted on an Displacement of the Angle between the Work done by the
object object force & displacement force on the object
10 N right 2.0 m right
12 N left 4.0 m right
40 N up 0m
5.0 m right 20° 300 J
150 N right 0° 2500 J
20 N down 180° -300 J
0.25 km North 30° 1000 J
50 N West 135° -250 kJ
8.0 N 40 m 250 J
30 N 2.5 m -35 J

5. Complete the calculations below involving mechanical work and power, paying careful attention to
units.

Work/Energy Transferred Time Power

560 kJ 20 s
3000 J 3.0 min
40 kJ 600 W
0.5 s 100 kW
1.50 hours 120 W
100 J 40 W

6. For each if the situations described in the table below, determine if work is being done, and if so, what is
it being done ON? What evidence supports your decision?

Situation
A. …by you, when you lift a set of weights up off the ground?
B. …by you, when you hold a set of weights stationary on your shoulders?
C. ...by a bow when a person releases the arrow from the bow to fire the arrow?
D. …by you when you climb a flight of stairs?
E. …by you when you lift your food to your mouth while eating?
F. …by a tow truck when it tows a damaged car along the road?
G. …by you when you listen to a lecture?
H. …by you when you kick a ball? …by you when the ball that you have kicked is moving through the
air? Is any work being done on the ball when it is moving through the air?
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Section B: Problem Solving (Draw a work-energy bar graph before solving each problem.)

7. A ball (m = 50 g) is thrown vertically up from the ground with an initial velocity of 20 m.s-1.
(a) What is the ball’s kinetic energy when it leaves the ground?
(b) What is the ball’s kinetic energy when it reaches its highest point above the ground?
(c) What happens to the kinetic energy of the ball as it moves up through the air?
(d) How high will the ball move above the ground if there is no air resistance on the ball?
(e) How high will the ball move above the ground if 5% of the ball’s energy is lost to the air due to air
resistance?

8. A ball (m = 200 g) thrown vertically upward rises to a maximum height of 10 m. With what velocity must
it have been thrown if…
(a) there was no air resistance and mechanical energy was conserved?
(b) if 10% of the initial kinetic energy was lost to the air due to air resistance?

9. A labourer throws a brick to another person standing 5.0 m higher on a scaffold. Exactly 15 J of work is
done to throw the brick that high.
(a) How much energy does the brick possess when it reaches the second labourer?
(b) What type of energy does the brick then possess?
(c) Calculate the mass of the brick.

10. A hiker carries a rucksack of 8.0 kg. After 10 minutes, he finds himself 50 m higher than his starting
point.
Calculate :
(a) the weight of the rucksack;
(b) the amount of work done on the rucksack;
(c) the total amount of work done by the hiker if his weight is 400 N;
(d) the hiker’s average power output during the 10 minute walk.

11. How much energy does a horse expend to pull a small cart if the horse pulls with a constant force of
350 N for half an hour, while walking at a constant speed of 7.0 km.h-1?

12. A 50 g bullet is fired horizontally with an initial velocity of 200 m.s-1 into a vB = 200 m.s-1
wooden block. The block is held firmly in place using a clamp. The bullet mB = 0.050 kg
penetrates 4.0 cm into the block before coming to rest.
Determine Initial
(a) the initial kinetic energy of the bullet;
(b) the work done on the bullet by the block;
(c) the average force exerted on the bullet.

13. Two blocks are connected by a light, inextensible cord which passes
over a frictionless pulley, of negligible mass, as shown in the diagram.
The system is released from rest. Use energy considerations to
determine the velocity of the blocks just as the 3.0 kg block reaches
the ground.

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14. A 1.6 kg block is propelled up a 25° incline with an initial

velocity of 4.0 ms-1. After moving 0.80 m up the slope, At rest
the block comes to rest. 0.80 m
(a) Draw a work-energy bar graph to represent this situation.
(b) Using your bar graph, set up a work energy equation
for the block and hence, determine the magnitude of 25°
the kinetic friction.

15. A massless spring with a spring constant of 5.0 x 102 N.m-1 is attached to a vertical wall, and placed
parallel to a frictionless surface. A 1.2 kg mass is attached to the free end of the spring. The mass is
then pulled to the right, stretching the spring by 0.080 m. When the system is released, the mass is
pulled to the left.

System before release.

0.080 m
Determine the maximum velocity of the mass at the instant that the spring returns to its original
length.

16. A massless spring with a spring constant of 5.0 x 102 N.m-1 is attached to a vertical wall, and placed
parallel to the floor. A 2.0 kg mass is placed in contact with (but NOT attached to) the free end of the
spring. The mass is then pushed to the left, compressing the spring by 0.10 m. When the system is
released, the mass is projected to the right, moving 0.22 m before coming to rest. A constant frictional
force acts on the mass during motion.
System
before
release.

0.10 m

(a) Draw work-energy bar graphs for the spring-mass system, before release and after coming to rest.
(b) Hence, determine the magnitude of the frictional force.
(c) Using a new work-energy bar-graph, determine the velocity of the mass at the instant that the
spring returns to its original length.

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