WORK, ENERGY AND POWER

1 A person who weighs 70 kg runs up a flight of stairs in 4.0 s. The gain in height is
3.0m.
(a) Calculate the rate at which work is done against the force of gravity. [4]
(b) If the person used 3000 J of chemical energy in running up the stairs;
(i) Calculate the energy loss. [2]
(ii) In what forms of energy will the lost energy be? [2]

2 The diagram shows a child on a swing. The mass of the child is 35 kg. The child is raised
to
point A and then released. She swings downwards through point B.

a Calculate the change in gravitational potential energy of the child between A and B. [2]
b Assuming that air resistance is negligible, calculate the speed of the child as she
passes through the equilibrium position B. [2]
c The rope stays taut throughout. Explain why the work done by the tension in the rope
is zero. [1]

3. (a) Define work done. [2]

(b) A constant force F acts on a mass m along a straight line for a distance s. The
acceleration of the mass is a and it moves from rest to a final speed v.
Show that kinetic energy of the mass is given by the expression:
Kinetic energy (Ek) = ½ mv2. [3]

(a) A resultant force of 3800 N causes a car of mass of 1500 kg to accelerate from rest to
a velocity of 15 m s–1.
(i) Calculate the distance moved by the car during this acceleration. [3]
–1
(ii) Calculate the power the car is developing at this velocity (of 15 m s ). [2]
4. A force of 15 N is applied to a body of mass 3.0 kg initially at rest on a smooth horizontal
surface, for a time of 3.0 s. calculate
(a) the final velocity, [3]
(b) the distance travelled, [2]
(c) the work done, [2]
(d) the final kinetic energy [2]
(e) compare (c) and (d) and comment [2]