A cable lifts a 1220-kg elevator at a constant velocity for a distance of 39.7 m. What is the work done by the tension in the cable?

can someone help me with this the answer is supposed to be in joules i tried doing it by 1220(9.81)(39.7) = 475137J but that is not the answer can someone please explain it to me?

475,137.54 or 475,138

or
475,000 J to three significant figures

To find the work done by the tension in the cable, you need to use the formula:

Work = force * distance * cos(theta),

where "force" is the magnitude of the force applied, "distance" is the distance over which the force is applied, and "theta" is the angle between the force and the direction of displacement.

In this case, the elevator is lifted by the tension in the cable (force), it moves a distance of 39.7 m, and since it is moving at a constant velocity, the angle between the force and the direction of displacement is 0 degrees.

Therefore, the formula becomes:

Work = force * distance * cos(0) = force * distance.

To find the force, we can use Newton's second law, which states that force = mass * acceleration.

In this case, the elevator is lifted with constant velocity, which means its acceleration is 0. Therefore, the force required to lift it is equal to its weight, which can be calculated by multiplying the mass by the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2).

So, the force = 1220 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 = 11956 N.

Now, we can calculate the work done by substituting the values into the formula:

Work = 11956 N * 39.7 m = 473687.2 J.

Therefore, the work done by the tension in the cable is approximately 473687.2 J, which can be rounded to 473687 J.