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13.6 Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem: W F DX MV

The work-kinetic energy theorem states that the work done on an object is equal to its change in kinetic energy. It can be used to calculate the final velocity of an object if the work done and initial velocity are known. The document provides two examples: (1) A ball falling from 15m to 5m, where the work done by gravity is calculated and used to find the final velocity of 1.4 m/s. (2) A cup being pushed 0.5m along a table, where the work done by the pushing force minus friction is used to find the final kinetic energy and velocity of 2.9 m/s.

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80 views3 pages

13.6 Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem: W F DX MV

The work-kinetic energy theorem states that the work done on an object is equal to its change in kinetic energy. It can be used to calculate the final velocity of an object if the work done and initial velocity are known. The document provides two examples: (1) A ball falling from 15m to 5m, where the work done by gravity is calculated and used to find the final velocity of 1.4 m/s. (2) A cup being pushed 0.5m along a table, where the work done by the pushing force minus friction is used to find the final kinetic energy and velocity of 2.9 m/s.

Uploaded by

sreejitha K
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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13.

6 Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem


There is a direct connection between the work done on a point-like object and the change
in kinetic energy the point-like object undergoes. If the work done on the object is non-
zero, this implies that an unbalanced force has acted on the object, and the object will
have undergone acceleration. For an object undergoing one-dimensional motion the left
hand side of Equation (13.3.16) is the work done on the object by the component of the
sum of the forces in the direction of displacement,

x=x f
1 1
W= ∫
x=xi
Fx dx =
2
mv f 2 − mvi 2 = K f − K i = ΔK
2
(13.6.1)

When the work done on an object is positive, the object will increase its speed, and
negative work done on an object causes a decrease in speed. When the work done is zero,
the object will maintain a constant speed. In fact, the work-energy relationship is quite
precise; the work done by the applied force on an object is identically equal to the change
in kinetic energy of the object.

Example 13.7 Gravity and the Work-Energy Theorem

Suppose a ball of mass m = 0.2 kg starts from rest at a height y0 = 15 m above the
surface of the earth and falls down to a height y f = 5.0 m above the surface of the earth.
What is the change in the kinetic energy? Find the final velocity using the work-energy
theorem.

Solution: As only one force acts on the ball, the change in kinetic energy is the work
done by gravity,

W g = −mg( y f − y0 )
(13.6.2)
= (−2.0 × 10−1 kg)(9.8 m ⋅s-2 )(5 m − 15 m) = 2.0 × 101 J.

The ball started from rest, v y,0 = 0 . So the change in kinetic energy is

1 1 1
ΔK = mv y, f 2 − mv y,0 2 = mv y, f 2 . (13.6.3)
2 2 2

We can solve Equation (13.6.3) for the final velocity using Equation (13.6.2)

2ΔK 2W g 2(2.0 × 101 J)


v y, f = = = = 1.4 × 101 m ⋅s-1 . (13.6.4)
m m 0.2 kg

For the falling ball in a constant gravitation field, the positive work of the gravitation
force on the body corresponds to an increasing kinetic energy and speed. For a rising

13-1
body in the same field, the kinetic energy and hence the speed decrease since the work
done is negative.

Example 13.7 Final Kinetic Energy of Moving Cup

A person pushes a cup of mass 0.2 kg along a horizontal table with a force of magnitude
2.0 N at an angle of 30o with respect to the horizontal for a distance of 0.5 m as in
Example 13.4. The coefficient of friction between the table and the cup is µ k = 0.1 . If the
cup was initially at rest, what is the final kinetic energy of the cup after being pushed 0.5
m? What is the final speed of the cup?

Solution: The total work done on the cup is the sum of the work done by the pushing
force and the work done by the friction force, as given in Equations (13.4.9) and
(13.4.14),
W = W a + W f = (Fxa − µ k N )(x f − xi )
. (13.6.5)
= (1.7 N − 9.6 × 10−2 N)(0.5 m) = 8.0 × 10−1 J

The initial velocity is zero so the change in kinetic energy is just

1 1 1
ΔK = mv y, f 2 − mv y,0 2 = mv y, f 2 . (13.6.6)
2 2 2

Thus the work-kinetic energy theorem, Eq.(13.6.1)), enables us to solve for the final
kinetic energy,
1
K f = mv f 2 = ΔK = W = 8.0 × 10−1 J . (13.6.7)
2

We can solve for the final speed,

2K f 2W 2(8.0 × 10−1 J)
v y, f = = = = 2.9 m ⋅s-1 . (13.6.8)
m m 0.2 kg

13.7 Power Applied by a Constant Force



Suppose that an applied force F a acts on a body during a time interval Δt , and the
displacement of the point of application of the force is in the x -direction by an amount
Δx . The work done, ΔW a , during this interval is

ΔW a = Fxa Δx . (13.7.1)

where Fxa is the x -component of the applied force. (Equation (13.7.1) is the same as
Equation (13.4.2).)

13-2
MIT OpenCourseWare
https://ocw.mit.edu

8.01 Classical Mechanics


Fall 2016

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