Chapter 6

Work and kinetic energy

Lecture by Dr. Hebin Li

Goals for Chapter 6

Ø To understand and calculate the work done by a force

Ø To understand the meaning of kinetic energy
Ø To learn how work changes the kinetic energy of a
body and how to use this principle
Ø To relate work and kinetic energy when the forces are
not constant or the body follows a curved path
Ø To solve problems involving power

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Work
A force on a body does work if the body undergoes a
displacement.

If the force and the displace are in the same direction, the work
is given by

! = #$
Unit

1 N ∙ m = 1 J (joule)

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Is there work done?
a. Is there work done by the normal force?
↑

no

b. I am carrying a book in my hand and the book is moving with a

constant velocity along a horizontal line. Is there work done on the
book by me? (Ignore air resistance) no

c. I push an object moving along the following path on a table top. I

start and finish at the same point. What’s the total work?
Fr
↑ fam
----
Fy
PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li
Work done by a constant force
The work done by a constant force acting at an angle f to the
displacement is W = Fs cosf.

In general: displacement
↓
W = Fs cosf = ! " #

Scalar product (Dot product)!

or W == Flskuso
PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li
Scalar product of two vectors
Ø The scalar product (also called the “dot product”) of two
vectors is "⃗ # $ = "$ cos ). The result is a scalar.

$ "⃗ # $ = "$ cos )

) Component of # in
"⃗
$ cos ) Magnitude of "⃗ direction of "⃗

Ø In terms of components, the scalar product can be calculated as

"⃗ # $ = "! $! + "" $" + "# $#

Example:
0 m; 3 = (−4.0+̂ + 2.0.̂ − 1.01)
$ = (2.0+̂ + 3.0.̂ + 1.01) 0 m

Calculate + # -.
+ # - = 2.0× −4.0 + 3.0×2.0 + 1.0× −1.0 m$ = −3.0 m$

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Example:
You apply a constant force "⃗ = 10 N )̂ + (20 N).̂ to an object as it undergoes a displacement
/⃗ = 9 m )̂ − (5 m)..̂ How much work does the force you apply do on the object?
Wife

(0 , 201 ·
28 , 5/

90-100 = - 10N

w =
10f

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Positive, negative and zero work

A force can do positive, negative, or zero work depending on the

angle between the force and the displacement.

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Example:
You push your physic book 1.50 m along a horizontal table top with a horizontal push of 2.40 N
while the opposing force of friction is 0.600 N. How much work does each of the following forces do
on the book: (a) your 2.40-N push, (b) the friction force, (c) the normal force from the table top, and
(d) gravity? (e) What is the net work done on the book?

·
son" _. N

try
a) 2 .4 . 1 .
S
er

6) - 6 .

1 .
5

c) 0

6)0
PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li
Energy
1. Energy is a conserved property of a physical system. It can be
roughly understood as the capacity of a system to perform
work.

2. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be

converted from one form into another form.

3. Energy has many forms (kinetic energy, potential energy,

chemical energy, thermal energy, electric energy, ……)

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Kinetic energy

The kinetic energy of a particle is

K = 1/2 mv2

Kinetic energy Mass

Speed

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Work and kinetic energy
Consider an example: A horizontal force 7 = 50 N acts on a block of mass 9 =
10 kg and the block moved 20 m. Ignore the gravity. 50 Mu =
af
(a) What is the work done by the force? w = 50(20) as
1000joules
=>
(b) What is the final velocity?
(c) What is the change in kinetic energy? = v= +
6)
v
2g(0 -yo)
=
v = y + 10(20)
V
=4
4)
mu,
m100
change
1000
PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li
The work-energy theorem

Ø The work-energy theorem: The work done by the

net force on a particle equals the change in the
particle’s kinetic energy.
Ø Mathematically, the work-energy theorem is
expressed as
Wtot = K2 – K1 = DK.

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Use of the work-energy theorem
A object slides down a frictionless ramp from rest, find the speed of the object at
the bottom of the ramp?
-n 0
=

I
w=
mgsing
migh
=

-
.

sing sing
↓
=

↑ ngrine
= w=
S
5
mgh
a e
sin

Inv =
w =

mgh
v = -
zgn

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Example:
Calculate work from kinetic energy change: You and your bicycle have combined mass 70.0 kg. When you reach
the base of a bridge, you are traveling along the road at 10.00m/s. At the top of the bridge, you have slowed to
2.00m/s.
What is the total work done (by all forces) on you and your bicycle when you go from the base to the top of the
bridge?

V=z
Z = 10 =
1

Vox =
18

O
140 - 3500
=
-
3368j

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Work done by varying forces

• Many forces, such as the

force to stretch a spring, are
not constant.
• We approximate the work by
dividing the total
displacement into many small
segments.

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Work done by varying forces, straight-line motion

In a straight-line motion,

:"
! = # $: %&
:!

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Stretching a spring
• The force required to stretch a
spring a distance x is
proportional to x: Fx = kx.

• k is the force constant (or

spring constant) of the spring.
• The area under the graph
represents the work done on
the spring to stretch it a
distance X: W = 1/2 kX2.

• Derive this by using

calculus
Derivation

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Example:
1. To stretch a spring 3.00 cm from its unstretched length, 12.0 J of work must be done.
(a) What is the force constant of this spring?
(b) What magnitude force is needed to stretch the spring 3.00 cm from its unstretched length?
(c) How much work must be done to compress this spring 4.00 cm from its unstretched length, and what force is
needed to compress it this distance?
↑ = =
110 001 .

w =
y ny = 12 = t 10.08)
= k
0 .
009

3) fx = 2666 66 .
. 10 06)
.

-8N

2) W= .
2666 66
.
-
60 . 0089
= 20 8
=

Fy = -1 .
04/18

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Work done by varying forces, vector form

In general,

;" ;"
! = # ' ( % *⃗ = # $cos.%/
;! ;!

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li

Power
• Power is the rate at which work
is done.
• Average power is
Pav = DW/Dt
and instantaneous power is
P = dW/dt.
• The SI unit of power is the watt
(1 W = 1 J/s), but other familiar
units are the horsepower and the
kilowatt-hour. (1 hp = 746 W;
1kW#h=3.6 MJ)
• Instantaneous power can be
calculated by using the force and
velocity
* = ,⃗ # -⃗
PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li
Example:
Your job is to lift 30-kg crates a vertical distance of 0.90 m from the ground onto the bed of a truck. (a) How many
crates would you have to load onto the truck in 1 minute for the average power output you use to lift the crates to
equal 0.50 hp? (b) How many crates for an average power output of 100 W?
↓
F
Going mq
=
m = 60s
374W
00 W= Es =

migh =
30(p .
8) Lot
w =
mgh
3b
= =
264 .
65
-3160) = W

22380 = W

= 86 .

= o
5 crates
scrater

-
100
=
6000 =W

6000 22 68
crates
.

= 2

564 6 .
PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li
Example:
Your job is to lift 30-kg crates a vertical distance of 0.90 m from the ground onto the bed of a truck. (a) How many
crates would you have to load onto the truck in 1 minute for the average power output you use to lift the crates to
equal 0.50 hp? (b) How many crates for an average power output of 100 W?

PHY 2048, Dr. Hebin Li