A boy is riding a skateboard. Why does the skateboard have the ability to do work?
Answer
A.
because it can slow down
B.
because it can change direction
C.
because the force applied by the rider acts in the same direction as the motion of the skateboard
D.
because the force applied by the rider acts in the opposite direction as the motion of the skateboard
My answer is D.
My answer is C. The force must act in the same direction as the motion.
Correct!
The skateboard has the ability to do work because the force applied by the rider acts in the opposite direction as the skateboard's motion.
When a force is applied in the same direction as an object's motion, work is done to increase the object's speed or maintain its current speed. However, in this scenario, the force applied by the rider acts in the opposite direction to the skateboard's motion. This force opposes the skateboard's motion and slows it down, which means work is being done on the skateboard. Therefore, option D is correct.