Work done

Work done is a very important concept in Physics as it is used in fields, in deriving gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy, etc.

So what is work done?

Let us look at the diagram above. A force F acts on the box at A. During the time the force is acting, the box moves in the direction of the force. When the application of the force stopped the box has moved a distance d.

Using the definition

Work done is the product of the force acting on an object and the distance moved by the object in the direction of the force.

We can deduce that the equation to calculate work done is

Work done = Force * distance moved in the direction of the force

Work done = F *d

Let us have a look at an example.

Example

A man pulls a table by exerting a force of 100 N on it moving it by a distance of 3.9 m.

Calculate the work done by the man?

Work done = Force * distance moved in the direction of the force

Work done = F *d

= 100 * 3.9

= 3900 J

If you have understood the concept do the question below.

Question

A braking force of 2.3*10⁴ N is applied to a car and as a result the car stops in a distance of 23 m. Calculate the work done in stopping the train.

Good luck.