A horizontal force with a magnitude of 3.0 newtons applied to a 7.0 kilogram mass moves the mass horizontally a distance of 2.0 meters. Determine the work done against gravity in moving the mass.
What is the formula that you use?
The object is not moved against gravity, so zero work was done on gravity.
Work= force*distance*cosAngle where Angle is the angle between force and distance. In this case, the force of gravity and displacement is at 90 degrees. The cosine90 =0
Well, the formula for work is simply the product of force and displacement. In this case, the force applied is horizontal, so it doesn't do any work against gravity. So, the work done against gravity is zero. Gravity must be feeling pretty relaxed. Maybe it's time for a vacation!
To determine the work done against gravity, we need to calculate the gravitational potential energy change of the mass as it is moved horizontally. The formula used is:
Work = Force x Displacement x cosθ
Where:
- Work is the work done against gravity
- Force is the component of the applied force that acts vertically against gravity
- Displacement is the distance the mass is moved
- θ is the angle between the direction of the applied force and the vertical direction (in this case, it is 90 degrees since the force is applied horizontally)
Since we are given the magnitude of the applied force, we need to find the vertical component of the force to calculate the work done against gravity. The vertical component of the force can be found using trigonometry.
The formula to find the vertical component of the force is:
Vertical Force = Force x sinθ
Where θ is the angle between the direction of the applied force and the vertical direction. In this case, since the force is applied horizontally, the angle θ is 90 degrees.
Let's calculate the vertical component of the force:
6.0 joules
Work=Force*Distance
Work=(3N)*(2m)
Work= 6 Joules