Name: ______________________________ Section: _________
SCIENCE 8
Work
In science, "work" is defined with an equation. Work is the amount of force
applied to an object (in the same direction as the motion) over a distance. By
measuring how much force you have used to move something over a certain
distance, you can calculate how much work you have accomplished.
The formula for work is:
Work (joules) : Force (newtons) x distance (meters)
A joule of work is actually a newton•meter; both units represent the same thing:
work! In fact, one joule of work is defined as the amount of work done by
pushing with a force of one newton for a distance of one meter.
1.0 joule = 1.0 newton x 1.0 meter = 1.0 newton • meter
EXAMPLE
How much work is done on a 10-N block that is lifted 5 m off the ground by a
pulley?
Solution: The force applied by the pulley to lift the block is equal to the
block's weight. We can use the formula W = F x d to solve the problem:
Work = 10 newtons x 5 meters 50 newton meters
Direction: Answer the following questions.
1. In your own words, define work as a scientific term.
2. How are work, force, and distance related?
3. What are two different units that represent work?
4. For the following situations, detemine whether work was done. Write "work
done" or "no work done" for each situation.
a. An ice skater glides for two meters across ice.
b. The ice skater's partner lifts her up a distance of I m.
c. The ice skater's partner carries her across the ice a distance of 3 m.
d. After setting her down, the ice skater's partner pulls her across the ice a
distance of 10 m.
e. After skating practice, the ice skater lifts her 20-N gym bag up 0.5 m.
5. A woman lifts her 100-N child up one meter and carries her for a distance of
50 m to the child's bedroom. How much work does the woman do?
6. How much work does a mother do if she lifts each of her twin babies upward
1.0 m? Each baby weighs
90. N.
7. You pull your sled through the snow a distance of 500 m with a horizontal
force of 200 N. How much work did you do?
8. Because the snow suddenly gets too slushy, you decide to carry your 100-N
sled the rest of the way home, How much work do you do when you pick up
the sled, lifting it 0.5 m upward? How much work do you do to carry the sled
if your house is 800 m away?
9. An ant sits on the back of a mouse. The mouse carries the ant across the
floor for a distance of 10 m. Was there work done by the mouse? Explain.
10. You decide to add up all the work you did yesterday. If you accomplished
10,000 N • m of work yesterday, how much work did you do in units of
joules?
11. You did 150. J of work lifting a 120.-N backpack.
a. How high did you lift the backpack?
12. A crane does 62,500 J of work to lift a boulder a distance of 25.0 m. How
much did the boulder weigh? (Hint: The weight of an object is considered to
be a force in units of newtons.)
13. A bulldozer does 30,000. J of work to push another boulder a distance of 20.
m. How much force is applied to push the boulder?
14. You lift a 45-N bag and carry it a distance of 10. m to the garden. How much
work was done?
15. A 450.-N gymnast jumps upward a distance of0.50 m to reach the uneven
parallel bars. How much work did she do before she even began her routine?
16. It took a 500.-N ballerina of force and 250 J of work to lift herself upward
through the air. How high did she jump?
17. A people-moving conveyor-belt moves a 600-N person a distance of 100 m
through the airport.
a. How much work was done?
18. John walks 1 ,000. m to the store. He buys 4.448 N of candy and then carries
it to his friend's house which is 500. m away.
a. How much work was done?