Big Bertha carries a 150 N suitcase up four flights of stairs a total height of 12 m and then pushes it with a horizontal force of 60 N at a constant speed of 0.25 m/s for a horizontal distance of 50 m on a frictionless surface. How much work does Big Bertha do on the suitcase during this entire trip?
150N x 12m = 1800 and 60 N x 50m =300 the sum of 2 which is 1800+300=2100
Yes 2,100 Joules
To find the work done by Big Bertha on the suitcase during the entire trip, we need to calculate the work done when lifting the suitcase and when pushing it horizontally.
1. Calculating the work done when lifting the suitcase:
Work is calculated using the formula: work = force x distance. When lifting the suitcase, Big Bertha is exerting a force of 150 N and lifting it vertically a distance of 12 m. Thus, the work done in lifting the suitcase is:
work lifting = 150 N x 12 m = 1800 Joules
2. Calculating the work done when pushing the suitcase horizontally:
On a frictionless surface, the work done when pushing horizontally is given by the formula: work = force x distance. In this case, Big Bertha exerts a horizontal force of 60 N and pushes the suitcase a horizontal distance of 50 m. Therefore, the work done when pushing the suitcase is:
work pushing = 60 N x 50 m = 3000 Joules
3. Calculating the total work done:
To find the total work done by Big Bertha during the entire trip, we need to sum up the work done in lifting the suitcase and the work done in pushing it horizontally:
total work = work lifting + work pushing
total work = 1800 Joules + 3000 Joules
total work = 4800 Joules
Therefore, Big Bertha does a total of 4800 Joules of work on the suitcase during this entire trip.