A forklift lifts a 900-Newton load 5 meters high. It then carries this load to a horizontal distance of 20 meters. Determine the total work done on the load.
To find the total work done on the load, we need to calculate the work done in lifting the load and the work done in carrying the load horizontally.
The work done in lifting the load can be calculated using the formula:
work = force × distance × cos(θ)
Where force is the weight of the load (900 N), distance is the height lifted (5 m), and θ is the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector. Since the load is lifted straight up, θ is 0 degrees, and the cos(0) is equal to 1.
work = 900 N × 5 m × cos(0)
work = 4500 J
The work done in carrying the load horizontally can be calculated using the formula:
work = force × distance × cos(θ)
Where force is the weight of the load (900 N), distance is the horizontal distance (20 m), and θ is the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector. Since the load is carried horizontally, θ is 90 degrees, and the cos(90) is equal to 0.
work = 900 N × 20 m × cos(90)
work = 0 J
Therefore, the total work done on the load is:
total work = work lifting + work carrying
total work = 4500 J + 0 J
total work = 4500 J
To determine the total work done on the load, we need to consider the work done in lifting the load and the work done in carrying the load horizontally.
1. Work Done in Lifting the Load:
The work done in lifting the load is given by the formula: work = force × distance
Here, the force (F) is the weight of the load, which is given as 900 Newtons, and the distance (d) is the height to which the load is lifted, which is 5 meters.
So, the work done in lifting the load is: work = 900 N × 5 m = 4500 Joules
2. Work Done in Carrying the Load:
To calculate the work done in carrying the load horizontally, we need to know the horizontal force applied and the distance it is carried.
Since the forklift is carrying the load, it is not doing any work against gravity. Therefore, the horizontal force applied is equal to the force of friction opposing the motion.
Assuming there is no friction between the wheels of the forklift and the ground, the horizontal force applied is zero. In this case, no work is done in carrying the load horizontally.
Therefore, the total work done on the load is the work done in lifting the load, which is 4500 Joules.