D'Amato HS Momentum Page 11 Period ____ Name _________________________________

Summary - Work
A person carries a brick while
walking at a constant pace
A person pulls a box upwards A person catches a ball The brick and the earth are the
The box and earth are the system The ball is the system system

Fperson on brick
Fperson on ball
Fperson on box

d brick
d ball

earth
d box

earth

Because the force exerted by the Because the force exerted by the Because the force exerted by the
person on the box is in the same person on the ball is in the opposite person on the brick is perpendicular
direction as the displacement of the direction as the displacement of the to the displacement of the brick,
box: ball:

W = ( Fperson on box )(d ) W = −( Fperson on ball )(d ) W =0

Example: Example: Example:

A man slowly lifts a 2kg book from
the floor to a bookshelf 1.5m high.
The force that the man exerts on the
book is about equal to the force of
the earth on the book:
Fman on book = Fearth on book
= mbook g = (2kg)(10 N/kg) = 20N
If the book and earth are selected as
the system, this is the work exerted
by the man on the system:
W = ( Fman on book )(d )
= (20N)(1.5m)
= 30 Nm
A girl catches a medicine ball of
mass 8kg. She exerts an average
force of 360N and the ball stops in
0.2m.
If the ball is selected as the system,
this is the work exerted by the girl
on the ball:
W = ( Fgirl on ball )(d )
= (360N)(0.2m)
= 72 Nm
A woman carries a 9kg briefcase for
22m along the sidewalk.
The force of the woman on the
briefcase is upwards, but the
displacement of the briefcase is
horizontal.
In any system that contains the
briefcase, but not the woman, the
external force on the briefcase is
perpendicular to the displacement of
the briefcase, so no work is done.
W =0

Measurement of work
The unit in which work is calculated is Newton meters (Nm) also called a Joule.
Tips about work:
Always identify a system for energy processes. It is especially important with gravitational potential energy: there
can be no gravitational potential energy in the system unless the Earth is a part of the system.
Since we consider the force of the Earth on objects to be part of the system, the earth does not do work on the
system. If the Earth is not part of the system, then the force that it exerts on system objects does work but the system
does not possess gravitational potential energy.
When there are two surfaces rubbing against each other, and both surfaces are in the system, then the internal energy
of the system increases. There is no work done by friction because the surfaces are both inside the system.
Alternatively, you could exclude the supporting surface and include the work done by friction that the surface does
on an object moving across the surface.
2007 (D'Amato) portions ©2006 Etkina & Van Heuvelen Tools / Options / View / Hidden Text to see teacher guide