True or False: If no friction forces are present the work done by a force on an object increases either its kinetic energy or its potential energy.

what do you think, and why? I am not inclined to give you answers that bypass your thinking.

True. When no friction forces are present, the work done by a force on an object increases either its kinetic energy or its potential energy. To understand why, let's explain the concept of work and the relationship between work, kinetic energy, and potential energy.

Work is defined as the product of the force applied on an object and the displacement of the object in the direction of the force. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:

Work = Force × Displacement × cos(θ)

Where θ is the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector.

If we consider a force acting on an object without any friction forces, there are two possible scenarios:

1. If the force applied is in the same direction as the displacement, θ = 0°, and cos(0°) = 1. In this case, the work done by the force is maximum, and it increases the kinetic energy of the object.

2. If the force applied is perpendicular to the displacement, θ = 90°, and cos(90°) = 0. In this case, the work done by the force is zero, and it doesn't change the kinetic energy of the object. However, it can still increase the potential energy of the object if it acts against gravity or any other conservative force.

Therefore, in the absence of friction forces, the work done by a force on an object will either increase its kinetic energy if the force and displacement are in the same direction or increase its potential energy if the force is perpendicular to the displacement.