The work that a force does by acting on an object is equal to what?
1) the product of force (in the direction of motion) and distance and is negative if the force and motion are in the same direction
2) the product of force (in the direction of motion) and distance and is positive if the force and motion are in the same direction
3) the product of force and distance without regard to direction
4) the product of distance and kinetic energy
5) the product of momentum and force (in the direction of motion)
Damon thanks for the push!
The answer is number 2...:)
The work that a force does by acting on an object is equal to option 2) the product of force (in the direction of motion) and distance and is positive if the force and motion are in the same direction.
The work that a force does by acting on an object is equal to the product of force (in the direction of motion) and distance, and is positive if the force and motion are in the same direction. This is option number 2.
To understand why, let's break it down. Work is defined as the amount of energy transferred to or from an object by means of a force acting on it. The equation for work is given by:
Work = Force × Distance × cos(θ)
Here, θ represents the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector. When the force and displacement are in the same direction (θ = 0°), the cos(θ) becomes 1, so the work done is positive. On the other hand, when the force and displacement are opposite in direction (θ = 180°), the cos(θ) becomes -1, resulting in negative work.
Option number 1 is incorrect because it incorrectly states that the work is negative if the force and motion are in the same direction. That would only be the case if the motion is opposite to the direction of the force.
Option number 3 is also incorrect because the direction of the force needs to be taken into consideration when calculating work.
Option number 4 is not relevant to the definition of work. Work is not equal to the product of distance and kinetic energy.
Option number 5 is incorrect because work is not equal to the product of momentum and force.