Aidan lifts a box from the floor, carries it across the room, and places it on a high shelf. When is Aidan doing work on the box?
a
He does work from the moment he touches the box until he lets it go.
b
He does work as he picks up the box and as he lifts it to the shelf.
c
He does work on the box at no time during this process.
d
He does work only while he carries the box across the room.
b
b
He does work as he picks up the box and as he lifts it to the shelf. And probably breaks a sweat too!
b
He does work as he picks up the box and as he lifts it to the shelf.
To answer this question, we need to understand the definition of work in physics. In physics, work is defined as the product of the force applied to an object and the distance over which the force is applied.
In this scenario, Aidan is lifting the box from the floor, carrying it across the room, and placing it on a high shelf. Let's analyze each action:
1. Lifting the box from the floor: When Aidan lifts the box, he is applying a force against the gravitational force acting on the box. He is doing work on the box by exerting a force over a distance (the vertical distance from the floor to his hands).
2. Carrying the box across the room: While carrying the box, Aidan is not doing any work on the box. This is because the force he is exerting is perpendicular to the direction of motion. In other words, the gravitational force is acting vertically downwards, and Aidan is applying a force horizontally to counteract it. Since the force and the displacement are perpendicular, no work is being done.
3. Placing the box on a high shelf: When Aidan places the box on the high shelf, he is again doing work on the box. He is exerting a force over a vertical distance (the distance from his hands to the shelf).
Based on this analysis, the correct answer is option B: Aidan does work as he picks up the box and as he lifts it to the shelf.