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Work,PowerAndEnergy
byWilliamDietsch2003
WorkDefinedastheproductofaforceandthedisplacementcausedbytheforce.Ifaforceacts
entirelyinthedirectionofthedisplacement,theentireforcedoeswork.Iftheforceactsinadirection
otherthantheexactdirectionofthedisplacement,useresolutionofforcetechniquestodeterminethe
effectivecomponent.Theeffectivecomponentisthenusedtocomputethework.Workisexpressedin
Joules(Nm).Equation:W=Fd
PowerDefinedastherateofdoingwork.Poweriscomputedbydividingthetotalworkdonebythe
timerequiredforthework.PowerisexpressedinWatts(J/s).Equation:P=W/t.
EnergyDefinedastheabilitytodowork.Therearemanydifferenttypesofenergysuchaselectrical,
light,magnetic,heatetc.Mechanicalenergyisclassifiedaskineticorpotential.
ConservativeVersesNonConservativeForces:Aforceforwhichworkdonedoesnotdependona
pathofmotion(justinitialandfinalpositionorstate)iscalledaconservativeforce.Gravity,elasticforces,
andelectricforcesareconservative.Aforcesuchasfrictiondependsuponthepaththroughwhichitacts
andisrefereedtoasanonconservativeforce.
PotentialEnergy:
Theenergypossessedbyabodybyvirtueofitspositionorstate.Thisenergyisonlyassociatedwith
conservativeforces.
GravitationalPE:Thisisenergy,whichisstoredinthegravitationalfieldoftheEarth.Ifworkisdone
inseparatinganobjectfromazeropoint(liftingitup)theenergystoredinthegravitationalfieldisequal
totheworkdoneinliftingtheobject.Equation:PEgrav=mgh(measuredinJoules).
ElasticPE:Thisisenergy,whichisstoredbydistortingtheshapeofanelasticobjectsuchasaspringor
abow.Thedistortedstateoftheobjectisthataspectoftheobject,whichcontainstheenergy.Thework
doneindistortingtheobjectisequaltotheenergystoredinit.Equations:PEelastic=ks2(measuredin
Joules)wherekistheelasticconstantoftheobjectandsistheamountofdistortionorstretch.
PEelastic=Fs(measuredinJoules)whereFisthefinalstretchingforceandsistheamountofdistortion
orstretch.
KineticEnergy:
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KineticEnergyistheenergypossessedbyabodybyvirtueofitsmotion.
Anymovingobjecthaskineticenergy.Equation:KE=mv2(measuredinJoules).Wherethemassisin
Kgandthespeedisinm/s.
ConservationOfEnergy:
Inaclosedsystemofconservativeforces(noenergyinputorloss),thetotalenergyofthesystemremains
constant.
Ifasystemconsistsofaweightsuspendedfromsomeheight,thetotalenergyofthesystemisPEgrav.If
theweightisreleasedandfalls,thePEgravislostastheheightisdecreased.AtthesametimetheKE
increasesasthebodyspeedsup.Atthelowestpoint(justbeforetheweighthitstheground)alloftheenergy
ofthesystemiskinetic.
Ifasystemconsistsofadrawnbowandarrow,thetotalenergyofthesystemisstoredinthebowas
PEelastic.Whenthearrowisreleased,allofthePEelasticisconvertedintoKE.
WorkAndPowerProblems
1.Ateamofmulespullswithaforceof2500Nonawagon.Howmuchworkdoestheteamdoif
thewagonispulled1820m?
2.A45Kgboxisliftedfromthefloortothetopofashelf1.1mhigh.Computetheworkdone
againstgravity.
3.Amanpullsasledbymeansofarope,whichmakesanangleof48tothehorizontal.Ifthesled
ismovedatotaldistanceof56m,computetheworkdonebythemanifhepullstheropewitha
forceof200N.
4.Asledispulledadistanceof185mbymeansofaropeheldatsomeanglemeasuredfromthe
horizontal.If12000Jofworkisdoneandthepullalongtheropeis125N,computethevalueof
.
5.Acraneliftsa2250Nbucketcontaining1.15m3ofsand.Ifthedensityofsandis2000Kg/m3,
andthebucketislifted8.4m,computetheworkdoneagainstgravity.
6.A250Nweightispushedupa5.6mfrictionlessinclinedplane,whichmakesanangleof35to
thehorizontal.Computetheworkdoneagainstgravity.Hint:findtheheightoftheinclinedplane.
7.Aconveyorbeltlifts56Kgofstoneuptoaheightof15m.Ifthemachineliftstheloadin
55seconds,computethepoweroutputoftheconveyorbeltinkW.
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8.In35seconds,apumpdelivers56dm3ofliquidintoatank31mabovethereservoir.Ifthe
densityoftheliquidis0.91Kg/dm3,computetheworkdoneandthepoweroutputofthepump.
9.A115Nforceexertedbyarope,whichmakesanangleof43tothehorizontal,pullsasled.Ifthe
ropegenerates66Wofpowerfor92s,computethedistancethatthesledmovesasaresult.Hint:
findtheeffectivecomponentoftheforcefirst.
10.A14mconveyorbeltinclinedat35,deliversbundlesofrecycledpaper,whichhaveamassof
5.0Kg.Iftheconveyorbeltdelivers23bundlesperminute,computethepoweroutputofthe
machine>
ElasticPotentialEnergyProblems
11.Theelasticforceconstantofaspringinatoyis550N/m.Ifthespringiscompressed1.2cm,
computethepotentialenergystoredinthespring.
12.Atotalof56Jofpotentialenergyisstoredinaspringthatisstretched4.5cm.Computethe
elasticforceconstantofthespring.
13.Aforceof125Nisusedtostretchaspring0.33m.Computethepotentialenergystoredinthe
spring.
14.A100.0garrowispulledback30.0cmagainstabow,whichhasanelasticforceconstantof
125N/m.Iftheentirepotentialenergystoredinthebowisconvertedtothekineticenergyofthe
arrow,computethespeedofthearrow.
15.Aspringwithaconstantof650N/miscompressedto5.5cmandisusedtoshootatoydartwitha
massof56gramsstraightup.Assumingthattheentirepotentialenergyinthespringisconverted
tokineticenergy,computethespeedofthedartuponlaunch.
16.Ifalloftheenergyofthedartinproblem15isconvertedtogravitationalpotentialenergybythe
dartbeingfiredstraightup,computetheheightthatthedartwillreach.
17.Aforceof56Nisusedtocompressaspring2.35cm.Computethepotentialenergystoredinthe
spring.
18.Ifthespringinproblem17isusedtolauncha2.1gballstraightup,computethemaximumheight
thattheballwillreach.
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ConservationOfEnergyProblems:
19.A550Kgrollercoastertrainrollsdownfromthetopofahill94mhigh.Whatisthelossof
potentialenergyatthebottomofthehill?Assumingthatallofthepotentialenergylostis
convertedtokineticenergy,computethespeedofthetrain.
20.Arollercoastertrainrollsdownfromthetopofahill85mhigh.Assuminga21%lossofenergy
tofriction,whatisthespeedofthecoastertrainatthebottomofthehill?
21.A2.1Kgweightreceives210Jofkineticenergybyalauncher,whichispointedstraightup.
Whatisthemaximumheightthattheweightwillachieve?
SimpleMachines:
22.Amachinereceivesaworkinputof25Jandhasefficiencyratingof54%.Computetheuseful
workoutputofthemachine.
23.Aneffortof55Nactsthroughadistanceof1.2mtolifta350Nweightstraightup.Assuming
thatthemachineis100%efficient,computehowhightheweightwillbeliftedbythemachine.
24.Aneffortof545Nisexertedontheropeofapulleysystem.Theropeispulled10.0m.Ifthis
workcausesa2520Nweighttoberaised1.50m,computetheefficiencyofthemachine.
25.Aneffortforceof56Nactsthroughadistanceof15mtoraisea1120Nweightadistanceof
0.525mstraightup.ComputetheIMA,theAMA,andtheefficiencyofthemachine.
26.Whatworkinputisrequiredtolifta215Kgmassadistanceof5.65musingamachinethatis
72.5%efficient?
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createdand2003byWilliamDietsch
posted&edited30May2007byDTrapp
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