Work done by a constant force
Key point
- Work done by a constant force is the product of the force times the distance travelled
Work done by a force is the product of the force in the direction of the displacement time the distance traveled.
- F = Force
- W = Work
- s = distance
- Θ = angle between force and displacement
- Unit: Joule
- One Joule is the work done by a force of 1 N when it moves a body a distance of 1 m in the direction of the force
- 1 J = 1 Nm
Formula Booklet
The work done by a force is the area of a force/displacement graph.
Since F = kx and Work is the area under the force-displacement graph the resulting equation is
- Work done becomes Elastic Potential
- m = mass
- g = gravity
- s = displacement
- Θ = angle made when the body falls
- Work done by gravity is independent of the path followed
- Work done by gravity depends solely on the vertical distance separating the initial and final positions
- that is true for all conservative forces
Not in Formula Booklet but important
Work done by gravity
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