Work and Work-Energy Theorem

1. A box, initially at rest, is pulled a distance of 5 m across a floor by a horizontal force of 23 N. At

the end of the 5 m, the kinetic energy of the box is 87 J.

a. What was the net work done on the box?

According to the Work-Energy theorem, the net work done on the box is equal to the change in
the kinetic energy.

Wnet = ΔEk = 87J

b. How much work was done by the 23 N force?

W = F d = (23 N)(5 m) = 115 J

c. How much work was done by friction?

The net work is equal to the sum of the work done by the applied force and the work done by the
friction.

Wnet = WA + Wf

Wf = Wnet – WA =87 J – 115 J = – 28 J

d. How much work was done by the gravitational force?

The gravitational force is perpendicular to the displacement. Thus, the gravitational force does no
work. Wg = 0 J.

2. Bill carries a 35 N package from the ground up to the fifth floor of a 15 m high office building.
How much work is done by Bill on the package?

The force Bill is applying to the package is directed up. He must be applying a force directed up
to the package that is equal to the package’s weight. He’s also moving up. Therefore, θ = 0.

F = 35 N W = F d cos θ = F d
d = 15 m W = (35 N)(15 m)(cos 0º) = 525 J
W=?
3. A 4 kg brick slides a distance (d) of 5m along an icy slope of inclination angle of 30o. The
coefficient of kinetic friction is μk = 0.20. What will be the speed of the brick at the end of the
slope?

There are three forces acting on the brick.

The work done by gravity = m g d cos(90 - α), as the angle enclosed by G and the slope is 90 - α.
Note that cos(90 - α) = sinα (trigonometry), therefore, Wg = m g d sin α. Note that d sinα = h
where h is the height of the slope. Thus, the work is equal to m g h.
The normal force encloses 90o with the displacement, so Wn = Fn d cos(90o) = 0.
The work of the friction is Wfr = - μ⋅Fn⋅d = - μk m g d⋅cos(α).
The work of all forces is W = m g d (sin α - μk cos α) and this will be equal to the kinetic energy Kf
= 1/2 mvf2.

mv 2f
mgd (sin α − μ cos α ) =
2
2 gd (sin α − μ cos α ) = v 2
f

v f = 2 gd (sin α − μ cos α )
= 2(9.81m/s 2 )(5 m)(0.500 − (0.20)(0.866))
= 5.7 m/s

4. A 2 kg block is accelerated from rest along a horizontal, smooth surface by a force of 5 N over
a distance of 6 m.

a. Determine the acceleration of the block and the final velocity of the block.
F 5N
a = = = 2.50 m/s 2
m 2 kg
v f 2 − vo 2 = 2 a ⋅ Δx
v f 2 − ( 0 m/s ) = 2 ( 2.50 m/s 2 ) ( 6 m ) = 30 m 2 /s 2
2

vf = 30 m 2 /s 2 = 5.48 m/s
b. Calculate the work done by the accelerating force.

W = F d Cos θ = ( 5 N )( 6 m ) ( Cos 0o ) = 30 N ⋅ m = 30.0 J

c. Use the Work-Energy theorem to determine the final velocity of the block. Compare your
answer to the answer obtained in part (a).

W = ΔKE = KE f - KEi
KE f = W + KEi = 30 J + 0 J = 30 J
1
( 2 kg ) vf 2 = 30 J
2
30 J
vf = = 30 m 2 /s 2 = 5.48 m/s
1 kg

d. Find the final velocity of the block if it has an initial velocity of +2 m/s.
W = ΔKE = KE f - KEi
1 1
W = m v 2f − m vi2
2 2
1 1
( 2 kg ) v f 2 − ( 2 kg )( 2 m/s )
2
30 J =
2 2
30 J = (1 kg ) v f 2 − 4 J
34 J
vf = = 34 m 2 /s 2 = 5.83 m/s
1 kg

e. If the block is moving with a velocity of 8 m/s, what magnitude retarding force is needed to
bring the block to rest over a distance of 5 m?

ΔKE = KE f - KEi
1 1
= m vf 2 - m vi 2
2 2
1 1
= ( 2 kg )( 0 m/s ) - ( 2 kg )( 8 m/s )
2 2

2 2
= -64 J

ΔKE
F =
Δx ⋅ Cos θ
-64 J
=
(5 m)(1)
= -12.8 N
5. Hooke’s law states that F = −k x .

a. Find the work required to compress the spring through a distance x.

Because the force is not constant throughout the distance moved, we need to integrate the
product of the distance and the force to determine the work. Also the force we exert is opposite in
direction to the force exerted by the spring, so the force we exert is F = k x .
x
x x x2 1 2 1
W = ∫ F dx = ∫ k x dx = k = k x − 0 = k x2
0 0 2 0
2 2
1 2
The work required is then W= kx .
2

b. What is the potential energy of a spring which was initially at zero and was compressed to a
point x?

When the spring has been compressed its velocity is zero, so there is no kinetic energy, all of the
energy is then potential energy.
1
Work is equal to the change in the energy. Thus, U spring = k x 2 .
2

6. The force exerted on an object is F = Fc ( x xc − 1) , where the subscript c implies a constant unit

of amount xc and Fc that are being used to measure distance and force. Find the work done in

moving the object from x = 0 to x = 3 xc

a. by plotting F ( x ) and using the area under the curve, and

b. by evaluating the integral analytically.

a. The graph shows F as a function of x.

F(x)

2Fc

Fc

x
xc 2x c 3x c

-Fc

The work is negative as an object moves from x = 0 to x = xc and positive as it moves from

x = xc to x = 3 xc . The work done from x = 0 to x = xc can be found as the area of a triangle

½(b)(h) = − (1 2 ) ( xc ) ( Fc ) and the work done for from x = xc to x = 3 xc is

(1 2 ) ( 3xc − xc ) ( 2 Fc ) = 2 xc Fc .
The total work done is − (1 2 ) xc Fc + 2 xc Fc = ( 3 2 ) xc Fc .

b. The integral for the work is

Fo ( x xc − 1) dx = Fc ( x 2 2 xc − x ) = ( 3 2 ) xc Fc
3 xc 3 xc
W =∫
0 0