Master Notes: Work (Physics – Till 2.
3)
■ Work in Physics vs Daily Life
• In daily life, 'work' means any activity where energy is spent (walking, reading, pushing).
• In Physics, work has a strict meaning: It is done only when:
1. A force is applied.
2. The body is displaced.
3. Displacement has a component in the direction of force.
• If displacement = 0, work = 0 (even if force is applied).
Examples:
• Pushing a car and it moves → Work is done.
• Pushing a wall (no displacement) → Work = 0.
• Holding a bag still → Work = 0 (no displacement).
■ Formula of Work
• General formula:
W = F × S × cos θ
• Where F = force, S = displacement, θ = angle between force and displacement.
• Only the effective part of force in displacement direction (F cos θ) contributes to work.
Clarifications:
• 'Slanting upward rope' means the force (rope tension) is tilted at an angle with the ground.
• cos 90° = 0 → not because angle = 0, but because cosine of 90° is 0.
■ Cosine Values to Remember
θ (angle) cos θ Effect on Work
0° 1 Maximum positive work
30° 0.866 Large positive work
45° 0.707 Moderate work
60° 0.5 Half force effective
90° 0 Zero work
180° -1 Negative work
■ Special Cases of Work
• θ = 0° → W = FS (Positive work, maximum). Example: lifting a load upward.
• θ = 90° → W = 0 (Zero work). Example: carrying a bag while walking, centripetal force.
• θ = 180° → W = -FS (Negative work). Example: friction opposing motion, gravity on upward
motion.
■ Units of Work
• S.I. Unit: Joule (J). 1 J = Work done when 1 N force moves a body 1 m in its direction.
• C.G.S. Unit: erg. 1 erg = Work done when 1 dyne force moves a body 1 cm.
• Relation: 1 J = 10■ erg.
■ Solved Examples
Example 1: Force = 20 N, displacement = 4 m, θ = 0° → W = 20 × 4 × 1 = 80 J.
Example 2: Force = 50 N, displacement = 10 m, θ = 60° → W = 50 × 10 × 0.5 = 250 J.
Example 3: Carrying a load on flat ground (θ = 90°) → W = F × S × 0 = 0.
■ Summary (Till 2.3)
• Work is done only if force causes displacement.
• Formula: W = F S cos θ.
• Work can be positive, negative, or zero.
• Work is a scalar quantity.