Find the work done by a traveller carrying a suitcase of mass 8.2 kg by pulling up on it when walking forward for a distance of 120 m . Explain your reasoning
Well, let's see. Work done is equal to the force applied multiplied by the distance traveled. In this case, the force is the weight of the suitcase, which can be calculated as the mass times the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²).
So, the weight of the suitcase is 8.2 kg * 9.8 m/s² = 80.36 N (approximately). Now, since the person is pulling up on the suitcase, the force applied is aligned opposite to the direction of motion.
But wait! Walking forward won't change the vertical position of the suitcase, so there won't be any work done in the vertical direction because there's no displacement. Considering that the force applied is perpendicular to the displacement, no work is done in the vertical direction.
Now, in the horizontal direction, since the person is walking forward, the force applied and the displacement are in the same direction. So, the work done in the horizontal direction is W = Force * Distance, which is equal to 80.36 N * 120 m = 9643.2 W (approximately).
Now, since the unit of work is joules (J), we can say that the work done by the traveler carrying the suitcase is approximately 9643.2 J (with a bit of clownish approximation).
To find the work done, we can use the formula:
Work = Force x Distance x cos(theta)
In this case, the force is the force applied to the suitcase by the traveler, the distance is the distance traveled by the traveler, and theta represents the angle between the direction of the applied force and the direction of motion (which is 0 degrees in this case since the force is applied in the same direction as the motion).
First, let's determine the force exerted by the traveler on the suitcase. This force can be calculated using Newton's second law:
Force = mass x acceleration
Since the suitcase is being pulled straight up, we need to find the upward component of acceleration due to gravity. The downward component will cancel out with the normal force from the ground.
The upward acceleration is given by the equation:
acceleration = net force / mass
The net force is equal to the weight of the suitcase, which is given by:
weight = mass x gravity
where gravity is the acceleration due to gravity, approximately 9.8 m/s^2.
Now we can calculate the net force:
net force = mass x acceleration
Next, we can calculate the work done:
Work = Force x Distance x cos(theta)
Since theta is 0 degrees (cos(0) = 1), the equation simplifies to:
Work = Force x Distance
Substituting the values we have:
Work = (net force) x Distance
Finally, we can calculate the work done:
Work = (mass x acceleration) x Distance
Now, plug in the given values:
mass = 8.2 kg
acceleration = gravity = 9.8 m/s^2
Distance = 120 m
Work = (8.2 kg x 9.8 m/s^2) x 120 m
Calculating this product will give us the work done by the traveler.