CHAPTER 10 – WORK AND ENERGY
SUMMARY
1. WORK
When some force is being applied on an object so as to move through a certain distance in the
direction of the applied force, work is said to be done. Thus, two conditions must be satisfied for
mechanical work to be done as follows:
1. A force should act on the object.
2. The object must undergo some displacement along the direction of force.
1.1 Work Done by a Constant Force
When a force acts on an object, the resultant work done is equal to the product of the
magnitude of force and the displacement (distance covered) in the direction of the force. Since
work done has only a magnitude and no direction, hence, it is a scalar.
1.2 SI Unit of Work Done
The SI unit of work done is joule (J). Work done is said to be 1 J when, under the effect of a
force of 1 N, an object moves in the direction of force through a distance of 1 m.
If an object moves at some angle to the direction of applied force, then
Work done = Displacement × Component of force along the direction of displacement
Mathematically,
W = Fs \cos\theta
where
• s = Displacement
• F = Magnitude of force
• θ = Angle between directions of force and displacement
1.3 Positive and Negative Work Done
If force F and displacement s act in the same direction, then the work will be positive and
maximum, where θ = 0°.
So, work done:
W = Fs \cos 0^= F s
If force F and displacement s act in mutually opposite directions, then work will be negative and
minimum, where θ = 180°.
W = Fs cos 180^ = -Fs
1.4 Zero Work
If force acts on an object along a direction perpendicular to the direction of displacement, then
work done produced by a force is zero, where θ = 90°.
W = Fs cos 90^ = 0
2. ENERGY
The capacity of doing work is called energy.
The energy possessed by an object is measured in terms of its capacity of doing work. The SI
unit of energy is equal to the SI unit of work. The SI unit of energy is joule (J). One joule of
energy is the capacity of doing 1 J of work.
2.1 Mechanical Energy
Mechanical energy is the sum of the kinetic energy and potential energy stored in a system. So
it is of two types:
(i) Kinetic energy
(ii) Potential energy
(i) Kinetic Energy
The energy possessed by an object by virtue of its state of motion is called kinetic energy. An
object of mass m with a velocity v has kinetic energy:
E_k = 1\{2}mv^2
Thus, for a given velocity v, kinetic energy is proportional to the mass of an object
For an object of mass m, kinetic energy is proportional to the square of its velocity .
For a moving object, kinetic energy and momentum are correlated as:
E_k = ½ mv ^2
Work–Kinetic Energy Theorem
As per the work-kinetic energy theorem, the work done by a force acting on an object is the
same as the change in kinetic energy of that object.
So, work done:
W = Final KE - initial KE
W = (Fs) =change in KE
(ii) Potential Energy
The energy possessed by an object by virtue of its position or configuration is called potential
energy. Potential energy is also a scalar quantity like other forms of energy. The SI unit of
potential energy is joule (J).
Potential energy is of two kinds:
(a) Gravitational potential energy
(b) Elastic potential energy
(a) Gravitational Potential Energy
The potential energy of an object by virtue of its position is called gravitational potential energy.
The gravitational potential energy of an object at a point above the ground is the work done in
raising it from the ground to that point against gravity.
Gravitational potential energy of an object of mass m situated at a height h above the ground:
E_p = mgh
The positive and negative values of gravitational potential energy depend on the sign of height
h.
(b) Elastic Potential Energy
The potential energy of an object due to its configuration
2.2 Transformation of Energy
The process of changing one form of energy into another is called transformation of energy,
e.g., when an object is fallen freely from a height, its potential energy is gradually transformed
into kinetic energy. In an electric iron or heater, electrical energy is transformed into heat energy.
In a thermal power station, heat energy is obtained at the expense of chemical energy during
the combustion of fuel, and subsequently, this heat energy is transformed into electrical energy.
2.3 Law of Conservation of Energy
As per the law of conservation of energy, energy can neither be created nor destroyed but it can
be converted from one form into another. Energy consumed in one form exactly reappears in
some other form and the total energy of an isolated system must remain conserved during the
transformation.
2.4 Power: Rate of Doing Work
Power of a person or machine or system is the rate of doing work. In other words, the rate of
supply or consumption of energy is called power.
Power = work done /time
Just like work and energy, power is also a magnitude only, i.e., it is a scalar quantity.
Unit of Power
The SI unit of power is watt (W).
Thus, power is said to be 1 watt if the rate of doing work or rate of supply of energy is 1 joule
per second.