The Concept of TORQUE

 Torque is the quantity that measures how effectively a force (F) causes acceleration.
o Produced when a force is applied with leverage
o Defined as the product of the force and the lever arm
 τ = Fl
 τ = torque
 F = force
 l = lever arm (perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation to the line
along which the force acts.
o Unit:
 N · m
o Examples:
 Opening door
 Turning on water faucet
 Tighten a nut with a wrench
o The greater the distance from the axis of rotation to the point where we apply the
force. The greater the torque

Examples:
1. A force whose magnitude is 55 N is applied to a door. However, the lever arms are different in
the three parts of the door as follows: (a) l = 0.80 m, (b) l = 0.60 m, and (c) l = 0. Find the
magnitude of the torque in each case.
Given: l = 0.80 m Required: τ
l = 0.60 m
l=0
Solution:
 τ = Fl
τ = (55 N) (0.80 m) = 44 N · m
 τ = Fl
τ = (55 N) (0.60 m) = 33 N · m
 τ = Fl
τ = (55 N) (0 m) =0N·m

2. The ankle joint and the Achilles tendon are attached to the heel. The tendon exerts a force of
magnitude F = 720 N. Determine the torque of this force about the ankle joint which is located
3.6x10-2 m away (with an angle of 55° above the horizontal) from the heel.
Given: l = 3.6x10-2 m 55° Require: τ
F = 720 N
Solution:
τ = Fl
τ = (720 N) (3.6x10-2 m) cos 55° = 14.87 N · m
clockwise rotation = - 14.87 N · m

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Equilibrium of a rigid body
 Στ = 0

d1 d2

F1 F2

Let: Tc = torque in the clockwise direction

Tc = F2l2
Tcc = F1l1

Tc = Tcc Tc – Tcc = 0
F1l1 = F2l2 F1l1 + F2l2 = 0

Examples:
1. A 500 N child sits at one end of a seesaw 4 m long. Where should a 400 N boy sit in order to
balance the seesaw?
Given; F1 = 500 N Required: l2
l1 = 4 m
F2 = 400 N
Solution:
F1l1 = F2l2
(500 N) (4 m) = (400 N) (l2)
l2 = 5 m

2. A woman whose weight is 530 N is poised at the right end of a diving board, whose length is 3.90
m. The board is attached by two supports 1.5 m apart. Find the tension is each of the two
supports if the diving board weighs 150 N.
Given: W1 = 150 N
W2 = 530 N
l1 = 0.5 m
l2 = 2.4 m F2
l1 = 1.5 m

1.5 m 2.0 m
F1 W1 = 150 N W2 = 530 N

2.4 m

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 Solution:
ΣT = 0
ΣTc = ΣTcc
W1l1 + W2l2 = F1l1
(150 N) (0.5 m) + (530 N) (2.4 m) = F1 (1.5 m)
F1 = 898 N

ΣFy = F2 + (-F1) + (-W1) + (-W2) = 0

WORK
 Product of the magnitude of the displacement multiplied by the component of the force parallel to
the displacement
 W = Fd
 W = (F cos θ) d
 W – work
 F – force parallel to the displacement
 d – displacement
 Θ – angle between the force and the displacement
 Units:
 N · m – Joule (J)

Examples:
1. Find the work done by a 45 N force in pulling the luggage carrier at an angle of 50 ° for the
distance of 75 m.
Given: F = 45 N Required: W
d = 75 m
θ = 50°
Solution:
W = (F cos θ) d
W = (45 N cos 50°) (75 m)
W = 2,169.41 J

2. The weight lifter is bench-pressing a barbell whose weight is 710 N. He raises the barbell a
distance of 0.65 m above his chest, and lowers it the same distance. Determine the work done on
the barbell by the weight lifter during (a) the lifting phase and (b) the lowering phase.
Given: F = 710 N Required: a. W lifting phase
d = 0.65 m b. W lowering phase
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 Solution:
W = Fd W = Fd
W = (710 N) (0.65 m) W = (710 N) (0.65 m)
W = 461.5 J W = -461.5 J

3. During a tug-of-war, team a pulls on team B by applying a force of 1100 N to the rope between
them. How much work does team A do if they pull team B toward them a distance of 2.0 m?
Given: F = 1100 N Required: W
d = 2.0 m
Solution:
W = Fd
W = (1100 N) (2.0 m)
W = 2200 J

4. A person pulls a toboggan for a distance of 35.0 m along the snow with a rope directed 25° above
the snow. The tension in the rope is 94.0 N. (a) How much work is done on the toboggan by the
tension force? (b) How much work is done if the same tension is directed parallel to the snow?
Given: F = 94 N Required: W
d = 35 m
θ = 25°
Solution:
W = (F cos θ) d W = Fd
W = (94 N cos 25°) (35 m) W = (94 N) (35 m)
W = 2,981.75 J W = 3,290 J

5. A person pushes a 16 kg shopping cart at a constant velocity for a distance of 22 m. She pushes in
a direction 29° below the horizontal. A 48 N frictional force opposes the motion of the cart. (a)
What is the magnitude of the force that the shopper exerts? Determine the work done by (b)
the pushing force, (c) the frictional force, and (d) the gravitational force.
Given: m = 16 kg Required: a. F
d = 22 m b. W of F
θ = 29° c. W fs
fs = 48 N d. W of g
Solution:
Fnetx = Fcos 29 – fs W = (Fcos θ)d
0 = Fcos 29 – 48 N W = (54.88 N cos 29) (22 m)
F = 54.88 N W = 1,055.98 J

W = (Fcos θ)d W = 0 J (because force is perpendicular)

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 8. A rope is attached to a crate in order to move the crate along a horizontal floor. If a force of
295 N is exerted on the rope, which makes an angle of 30° with the horizontal, in order to move
the crate to a distance of 25 m, how much work is done?
9. An 18 kg steel box is pushed along a horizontal floor to a distance of 20 m. If the coefficient of
friction between the box and the floor is 0.15, calculate the amount of work done.
10. A force of 2500 N is applied on the engines of a 2-ton truck to move it 2 km along a level road.
What is the amount of work done?

POWER
 Amount of work done per unit time

o Power = =

 Units:
o Erg/sec
o Joule/sec or watt

 1 horsepower (work done by a horse in one minute)

Examples:
1. What power will be required to raise a 1500 kg steel bean to a height of 14 meters in 10 minutes?
Given: F = W = mg = 14700 N
d = 14 m
t = 10 min = 600 s
Solution

Power =

Power =

Power = 343 watts

2. An 80 kg man walks up a 50 m plank which is inclined 30° with the horizontal, in 4 minutes.
Calculate the power of the man.
3. A 1.5 hp air conditioner was used to cool a room for 2 hours. Find the amount of work done by the
air conditioner.
4. In an action-adventure movie, the hero lifts the 91 kg villain straight upward through a distance
of 1.2 m in 0.51 s at a constant speed. What power does the hero produce while doing this?

ENERGY
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 Capacity to do work

1. Potential Energy
 Stored energy
 An elevated object is said to have gravitational potential energy
o PE = W
o PE = Fd
o PE = mgh

2. Kinetic Energy
 Energy in motion
o
F = ma
o
a=

o
F=m

o
F·d = mVf2 - mVi2
o
KE = ½ mv2

Examples:
1. Relative to the ground, what is the gravitational potential energy of a 55 kg person who is at the
top of the Sears Tower, a height of 443 m above the ground?
Given: m = 55 kg Required: PE
h = 443 m
g = 9.8 m/s2
Solution
PE = mgh
PE = (55 kg) (9.8 m/s2) (443 m)
PE = 238,777 J

2. Calculate the potential energy of a 50 kg boulder at the ledge of a cliff 250 m high.
3. Find the potential energy of 40 m of water contained in a water tank elevated to a height of 15 m.
Neglect the weight of the tank.
4. A 10-kg crate is pushed up a plank 5 m long and inclined 30° with the ground. Find the potential
energy of the crate when it is at the higher end of the plank.
5. Calculate the kinetic energy of a 500 g ball which runs at the rate of 2 m/s.
6. A 70 kg racer has a record of 20 sec in 100 m dash. What is his kinetic energy?

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