Force and Work

11.1 What is Work Done?

• The work done by a force is equal to the
force multiplied by the distance moved in
the direction of the force.
• Work done = Force  Distance moved in
the direction of the force
 11.1 What is Work Done?
• For work to be done:
o There is a force acting on the object.
o The object moves.
o The movement of the object is in the
direction of the force.
 Calculating work done
• The work done by a force measures the
amount of energy being changed from one
form to another as the work is done.
• The unit of work done is the joule (J).
• Work done = Force  Distance moved
o 1 joule = 1 newton  1 metre
o 1J=1Nm
 Calculating work done
Force = 1 N

• One joule is the amount

of work done when a
force of one newton
moves an object by one
metre in the direction of Weight = 1 N

the force. Force = 1 N Distance = 1 m

Work done
=1Nx1m
=1J

Weight = 1 N
 Calculating work done
• The force that you exert in lifting an object to a
certain height above the ground is equal to the
force of gravity acting downwards on the object.
• The force exerted by gravity on the object’s
mass is known as the weight of the object.
• The weight of a 1 kg mass is usually taken to be
10 N.
• Work done to lift an object
= Lifting force  distance
= Weight  distance
 Calculating work done
Example 1
Marie lifts a 5 kg mass from the floor and puts in on a table
one metre high. What is the work done?
Solution
Work done = Force x Distance moved
= (5  10) N  1 m
= 50 N m
= 50 J 1m
 Calculating work done
Example 2
Isaac carries an 8 kg pail of water up a flight of 15 steps,
each 20 cm high. Calculate the amount of work done
against gravity to carry the pail upstairs.

20 cm
 Calculating work done
Solution
The bag pulls the boy’s arm downwards. Since the pail
hangs without moving on his arm, his arm must be pulling
upwards with a force equal to the weight of the pail, which
is 80 N. The distance moved in the direction of the force is
the upward distance, not the length of the stairs.

Work done = 80 N  (15  0.2 m)

= 240 J
 Calculating work done
Example 3
The energy used to pull a large rock 40 m along the rough
floor is 6 kJ. Find the tension in the rope used to pull the
rock, if the rope is parallel to the floor.
Solution
Work done = Force  Distance moved
Force = Work done
Distance moved
= 6000 J
40 m
= 150 N
 Calculating work done
Example 4
The work done to pull up a bucket of 1 N filled with 23 N of
water is 4.08 kJ. How far up is the bucket pulled?
Solution
Work done = Force  Distance moved
Distance moved = Work done
Force
= 4080 J
240 N
= 17 m
 Calculating work done
Example 5
A man tries very hard to lift a weight. His muscles strain
with a force of 800 N. Finally, he collapses out of sheer
exhaustion. How much work has he done against gravity?
Solution
Work done = Force  Distance moved
= 800 N x 0 m
=0J
 Calculating work done
Example 6
Marie carries her bag weighing 20 N and walks 30 m.
How much work did she do against gravity while
carrying her bag during her journey?
Solution
The force she exerts to carry her bag is equal to the
weight of her bag. But Marie is moving sideways,
while the force she exerts points up. Her movement
is not in the direction of the force. Thus, no work is
done against gravity.
 11.2 Moment of a Force
• When we push or pull a door, we
are applying a force that causes a
turning effect.
• This turning effect is called the
moment of a force, which is used
to make work easier.
• The point of rotation of the moment
of a force is called a fulcrum or
pivot.
 11.2 Moment of a Force
• Moment of a force, M = F  d
• Moment of a force, M
= Force  Perpendicular distance from the
fulcrum to the line of action of the
force
• S.I. unit for moment of force is newton-metre
(Nm)
 Calculation with moments
Anticlockwise Clockwise
moment moment
B
A
0.60 m 0.20 m

F
4N 12 N

• Moments about the fulcrum F:

o Moments of A’s weight = 4 N  0.60 m = 2.4 Nm
o Moments of B’s weight = 12 N  0.20 m = 2.4 Nm
 Calculation with moments
Anticlockwise Clockwise
moment moment
B
A
0.60 m 0.20 m

F
4N 12 N

• B’s moments is called a clockwise moment because it turns

the beam in the direction that a clock’s hands would move.
• The moment due to A is an anti-clockwise moment.
• When two moments balance, the anti-clockwise moment
about any point is equal to the clockwise moment about the
same point.
 Calculating work done
Example 7
Find the weight of the person A sitting on the balanced see-
saw in the diagram shown.
B
A

1.5 m 1.0 m

W 600 N
 Calculating work done
Solution
Let the weight of A be W.
Anti-clockwise moment = Clockwise moment
W  1.5 m = 600 N  1.0 m
W  1.5 m = 600 Nm
W = 600 Nm = 400 N
1.5 m
The weight of A is 400 N.
 Calculating work done
Example 8
A door is held in balance by two forces – one force of 20 N
acting on the handle 60 cm from the fulcrum, O, and the
other of 15 N acting on the edge of the door. Find the width
of the door.

N
20
60
cm
15 N
O

Top view of door

 Calculating work done
Solution
Let the width of door be D.
Taking moments about O,
Anti-clockwise moment = Clockwise moment
15 N  D = 20 N  60 m
D = 1200 Ncm = 80 cm
15 N
The width of the door is 80 cm.
 11.3 Levers
• Some examples of machines that apply
moments to help us perform various tasks are
pulleys, hydraulic presses and levers.
• You use a lever by applying a force (called the
effort) to one point of the lever.
• This effort is used to overcome a force (called
the load) at some other point.
• In levers, the effort produces a moment, which
balances the moment due to the load. The
moments are taken about a point called the
fulcrum (or pivot).
 Micellaneous
• http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbas
e/work2.html
• http://www.technologystudent.com/
forcmom/forcedex.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lever
• http://www.addictinggames.com/levers.ht
ml