Work, Power and Energy

Work: work is said to be done if the body displaces from one position to another by
the application of force.
For work to be done, the following conditions has to be satisfied
a) A force must be applied.
b) The applied force should displace the body.
The amount of work done is measured by the product of the applied force &
the distance through which it moves in the direction of force.
If a body displaces through a distance `s` by the application of force F then work
done is given by

F. s

It is clear that work done is Zero if there is no dis placement.

Consider a body of mass m. Let F be a force acting on the body at A which takes
the body to B making an angle w.r.t horizontal. The component of displacement along
the direction of force F is cos.
B

Work done

F. s
= F s cos

When
0 the displacement of the body takes place
in the direction of force.

W = Fs

Note: 1) When

90

,W = Fs cos

90 =0 i.e. if the applied force is perpendicular

to the displacement, work done is zero.

2) If s=0, W=0, i.e. no work is done.
3) Work done is a scalar quantity.

Units of work: The work done is said to be 1 joule when a force of 1 Newton
moves a body through a distance of 1 meter.

Graphical determination of work by a force:

Work done by a constant force:
takes the body from initial position x i to final position x f .
Then the total displacement

xf
W

xi

F.x

xi

xf

This is nothing but the area under the force position

curve.

30

M.N.Sharath

Work done by a variable force:

If a variable force acts on the body, then the total
curve can be divided into short segments
s1, s2 , s3...... This displacement takes place by the
force F cos , F2 cos .....

The total work is given by

F1 cos

s1

F2 cos

s2

.....

Thus, the total work done by a varying force for a given displacement is equal
to the total area under the force curve & the displacement axis.
Power: It is defined as the time rate of doing work. It is measured by the amount of
work
done in 1 second.
If W is the work done in `t` seconds then
Workdone W
P
time
t
Thus more the time, less the power & less the time more the power. Power is a
scalar quantity.

W
but W F.s
t
s
F. s
F
,
t
t

Wkt P

P
P

F.v

Power is the dot product of constant force & the velocity of the point application of
the force.
SI unit of Power: SI unit is watt (W). The power is said to be 1W if one joule of
work is
done in one second. But we usually use the unit called as horse power.

1 HP = 746W

Energy: It is the capacity to do work by a body. It represents the total amount of work
that a body can perform. Its a scalar quantity. Thermal, nuclear, mechanical,
electrostatic are the different forms of energy. Mechanical energy is of two
types:
a) Kinetic energy
b) Potential energy
Potential energy: It is the energy possessed by virtue of its position is known as
potential energy.
Expression for potential energy :
Consider a body of mass `m` be raised to a height `h` from the
ground. Due to its position, it possess potential energy. The work
done in
lifting the body is stored as potential energy in the
body. By definition

Work done = force displacement

Work done = F h
But the weight `mg` acting downwards is the force.

By Newtons second law of motion

F = mg
Work done = mgh
Since the work done is nothing but the potential energy stored in the body.

P.E=mgh
This is the expression of potential energy possessed by a body placed at a height `h`
above the ground.

Expression for P.E of a spring:

When a spring is compressed or stretched, it possess potential energy. Let
the spring be stretched through a distance `x` along its length from its mean
position.
Then the P.E of a spring is given by

1 2
kx
2

P.E

Where K is known as spring constant.

Note: 1) P.E is independent of path.
2) It depends on the final position.
Kinetic energy: It is the energy possessed by the body due to the virtue of its
motion. It is measured by the amount of work that the body can do before coming to rest.

Expression for kinetic energy:

Let a body of mass `m` moving with a velocity v is brought to rest byapplying a

F
. Let
m
the body travels a distance `s` before coming to rest. The work done is equal to F. s
2
2
Consider v
u
2as
constant force F . Then the uniform retardation produced in the body is a

In this initial velocity is v & final velocity is zero.

v2

v2

2as
v2
2s

2as

But K.E=Work done before the body comes to rest.

K.E = F.s
=mas
v2
m .s
2s

K.E

1
2
mv
2

This is the expression for the kinetic energy of a body.

James Watt

Work Energy theorem: It states that the work done by a force acting on a
body is equal
to the change in K.E of the body.

W K.E2 K.E1
1
1
mv22
mv1 2
2
2
1
W
m v22
v1 2
2

One can notice that

a) When Work done is + ve, K.E increases.
b) When Work done is ve , K.E decreases.
Principle of conservation of energy :
Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed but can be changed from one form
to another so that the total energy always remains constant.
Illustrations of
conservation of energy : A
freely falling body:
Let a particle of mass `m` be at A at a height `h` from the ground. Let it fall freely
to B.
a) At point A the body is at rest. Since it is not moving its velocity is zero so K.E is
also zero.

P.E = mgh
Total energy = P.E + K.E
mgh

(1)

b) Let the body fall through a distance `x` below A. Then it is at

a height (h x) from B.
At c, P.E = mg(h x)
If v1 is the velocity attained by the body at c then,

v12
v12

u
0
K.E

2gx
2gx
1
mv12
2

1
m 2gx
2
K.E = mgx
T.E = P.E + K.E
=mg(h-x)+mgx
=mgh-mgx-mgx
(2)
T.E mgh
c)At point B, let v be the velocity of the body.
2

P.E at B is zero because h=0

v2

u2

2gs

v2

2gh
1
K.E
mv22
2
1
m 2gh
2
K.E = mgh
Total energy =P.E + K.E
= 0 + mgh
mgh
(3)
From equations (1), (2) & (3) it is clear that the total energy of a body remains
constant throughout its motion. Thus total energy is conserved.

A body moving on a smooth inclined plane:

AB is a smooth inclined plane of height H. Let l be the total length of plane & be the
angle between the inclined plane &
horizontal. a) At A, the body of mass m
has only
P.E since it is at rest.

P.E = mgh
K.E = 0
T.E = P.E + K.E
= mgH + 0
T.E = mgH

(1)

b) As the body moves down, its velocity increases which in turn decreases the P.E
and height also decreases. Consider a point D along the path with
v1 . The
velocity
body is pulled down by acceleration due to gravity g & it can be resolved as
gsin along the direction of motion of particle and gcos perpendicular to gsin.
Only parallel component causes the motion of the body down the plane . If `x` is
the distance traveled then,

v12 0 2g sin .x
v12 2g sin .x
1
K.E at D
mv12
2
1
m.2gx sin
2
K.E = mgxsin
H h
From le ADE sin
x
x sin
H h
K.Eat D mg(H h)

P.Eat D
T.E mgH

mgh
mgh

mgh

T.E

mgH

(2)

c) Let the velocity of body at B be v. It has K.E but no P.E

v2

2g sin .l

From

le

ABC sin

v2
K.E

H
l

2gH
1
2
mv
2

1
2gH m mgH
2
T.E = mgH+0
T.E mgH
(3)
From equations (1), (2) & (3) we see that the total energy is conserved. Conservative
forces: If the work done in moving a particle by a force depends on initial & final
positions of the particle but not on the path taken, then the force is said to be
conservative.
1) Work done by a conservative force along a circular path is zero.
2) The work done by a conservative force is completely recoverable.
Ex: Gravitational force, elastic force in a stretched or compressed spring, magnetic
force between 2 magnetic poles ,electrostatic force between 2 charges.
Non conservative force: A force is said to be conservative if the work done by
or against the force in moving a body depends on the path taken between initial &
final
positions.
Ex: Frictional force, viscous force, tension in a rope.
Collisions: It is also even in which either of the bodies come in physical contact
with each other or one body is affected by the force exerted due
to other. In collisions, the total momentum of bodies is always conserved i.e. momentum
before collision is equal to momentum after collision.
Elastic collision: A collision is said to be elastic if both K.E & momentum are
conserved. The equations are

m1u1 m u
m1 v1 m2 v 2
2 2
1
1
1
and m1 v1 2
m2 v22
m1 u12
2
2
2

1
m2 u22
2

Inelastic collision: The collision is said to be inelastic when only momentum is

conserved but not the energy.
Ex: Collision between 2 automobiles, hammering a nail, bullet fired into a block.
The equation is given by

m1u1

m 2 u2

(m1

m2 )v

1
m2 u22
2

1
m1 u12
2

1
(m1
2

m2 )v 2

Co eficient of restitution: It is defined as the ratio of relative velocity

of the body its
after
collision
to
relative
veloc

ity before collision.

Let u1 & u 2 be the velocities of 2 bodies before collision & v1 & v 2 be the
velocities after collision. Then the co- efficient of restitution is give n by

( v1
(u1

v2 )
u2 )

For a perfectly elastic collision e =1

1
u1
u1

( v1 v 2 )
(u1 u 2 )
u2
v1 v 2
u 2 v 2 v1

Velocity of separation is equal to velocity of approach.

For a perfect inelastic collision e = 0

(v1
Or

v2 )

( v1
u1

v1
Or v1

u1
v2 )

u2
v2

u2
0

v2

i.e. body stick together after collision & move with a same velocity.