WORK OF THE PHYSICS KIND

Modified for Physics 303 by O. A. Pringle

DEEP THOUGHTS
by Jack Handey
Children need encouragement. If a kid gets an
answer right, tell him it was a lucky guess. That
way he develops a good, lucky feeling.

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KINETIC ENERGY

A useful concept in the analysis of

motion is Kinetic Energy (KE):

K = mv2

The greater an objects speed, the greater its KE.

CAUTION
CAUTION:

By its definition, Kinetic Energy is NOT a vector !

You have been hereby WARNED.

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FORCE & CHANGE IN KINETIC ENERGY

Forces cause acceleration and thus can cause change in

speed Y change kinetic energy K = m v 2.

Component of force parallel to velocity P

v changes K.

Kinetic energy changes are greater the longer the

parallel force is applied.

We need a simple method of describing and determining

how much of one vector (e.g., P
F ) is parallel to another
vector (e.g., P
v ). This is done with the vector dot product.

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DOT PRODUCT OF TWO VECTORS

The DOT PRODUCT of two vectors A
P and PB is the scalar
quantity:
A
PCBP = # AP# # PB # cosAB = A B cosAB
where
AB / angle between vectors P
A&P
B

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Equivalent view: A
PCBP = A B cos AB = A [ B cos AB]
=

A Bdirection A

where Bdirection A = B cos AB is

P in
the component of vector B
the direction of the vector P
A
P is in the direction of P
Were asking: How much of B
A?
For > 90E, BdirecA < 0
A
PCBP = A BdirecA < 0

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SPECIAL DISPENSATIONS
For perpendicular vectors, you
are allowed to simply write
A
PCBP = 0
For similarly directed vectors,
you are allowed to simply write

PACBP = +A B
For oppositely directed
vectors, you may write
A
PCBP = S A B

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MATH PROPERTIES OF DOT PRODUCT

The dot product satisfies the math properties:

PCBP = PB CAP
A

(commutative)

(A
P + PB ) C CP = APCCP + PB CCP

(distributive)

^i C^i = ^j C^j = ^k C^k =

( || unit vectors)

^i C^j = ^j C^k = ^i C^k =

( z unit vectors)

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Dot Product with Components

The numerical value of the dot product of two vectors
can be evaluated using the values of their components
in any given axis system.
A
P = Ax^i + Ay^j + Az^k

PB = B ^i + B ^j + B ^k
x

One can show that:

PCBP =
A

A B cosAB =

Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz

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A PHYSICISTS VIEW OF WORK

The dot product can be used to define a quantity,
WORK, that accounts for the effect of forces that change
kinetic energy, i.e., forces parallel to velocity.
Work done on an object by force P
F as it moves on path

Pr (t) from initial position Pr i to final position Pr f is:

Pr f

WF

'

i6f

m
Pr i

P r) @ dPR '
F(P

Pr f

m
Pr i

P (Pv dt) '

F@

Pr f

m
Pr i

Pr f

F( || to Pv) v dt '

F|| d R

Pr i

where dR is a small distance step and F|| is the component of

force in direction of the instantaneous velocity P
v:
Y We have picked out the component of force that
causes a change in speed and thus kinetic energy.

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FORCE CAN VARY OVER PATH

A force can change in magnitude
and/or direction as the particle
moves along a path.
We can break the path into
segments P
R n (i.e., vector steps),
over each of which the force is approximately constant
P r ) @ PR
WF ' j F(P
n
n

rf

PRn6dPR

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m
Pr i

P r) @dPR
F(P

WORK SKINETIC ENERGY THEOREM

Pr f

WF

i6f

'

P r) @ dPR '
F(P

Pr i

Pr f

F( || to Pv) d R

Pr i

F|| changes the speed Y changes Kinetic Energy

Change in KE is related to physicist's Work !

(Wnet )i6f = K = Kf ! Ki = mvf2 ! mvi2

Change in KE of object = How much work done on it!

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SPECIAL DISPENSATIONS
1. Constant Force (both in magnitude & direction)
If P
F is constant over a path segment, i.e. P
F (r
P) = P
F and your
diagram shows it, then you are permitted to just write
F CD
P or make the corresponding substitution because
WF = P
rf

WF

'

i6f

P r) @ dPR '
F(P

Pr i

rf

P @ dPR
F

Pr i

Pr f

P @ (Pr &Pr ) ' F

P @D
P
P @ dPR ' F
' F
f
i
m
Pr i

where DP is the vector displacment for the segment.

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2. Force is always perpendicular to path (whether

constant in magnitude or not)
If P
F is always perpendicular to the path segment, i.e.

PF (rP) z dPR and your diagram shows it, then you are
permitted to just write
WF = 0 or make the corresponding substitution

because
Pr f

WF

'

i6f

m
Pr i

P r) @dPR '
F(P

Pr f

F cos(90E) dR' 0

Pr i

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WNET Is Net Work (not Network)

The net work Wnet done on an object in going from
some initial state to some final state is the work done
along the path by the net force P
F net on the object. It is
also the sum of works done by the individual forces:
(Wnet )i6f = G Wn = sum of individual works
This conjoined with (Wnet )i6f = K (Work-KE theorem)
gives a much simpler method of determining changes in
speed, particularly if a non-constant force is involved!!

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Example: Determine
the change in KE of a
block of mass m pulled a
distance D over a rough
horizontal surface with
coefficient of friction .
K = Wnet = G Wn = WN + WP + Wgrav + Wf
Kf !Ki = P
N CD
P + PP CDP + PF grav CDP + Pf CDP
= 0 + P D cos + 0 + [S (N) D]
To get N:

Fy = Ny + Py + Wy + fy = m ay
= (+N) + (+P sin) + (S mg) + 0 = m(0)

Caution
Caution:

N = (mg S P sin) ; never assume N = mg

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EXAMPLE: A ball of mass m is attached to a massless rigid

rod of length L. A constant pushing force P
P is applied
horizontally to it. The ball is released from rest at a horizontal
position. What is its speed at the bottom of its swing?
What is relationship between forces
and speed? The Work-KE theorem!
(Wnet) i6f = K
But outward force P
B produced by
the rod varies. What to do?
Dont loose heart; follow Litany!
3 forces Y 3 terms Y WB + WP + Wgrav = mvf2 S mvi2

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mvf2 mvi2 = WB+ WP + Wg

d R and P
B always perpendicular
Pr f

WB

i6f

'

m
Pr i

PP constant Y WP = PP CPD = P D cos(45E)

w
P constant Y

P @ dPR '
B

Pr f

(0) ' 0
m
Pr i

= P(/2 L)(/2) = PL

Wgrav = w
P CP
D = w Ddirec w = mg(+L)

mvf2 S m(0)2 = WB + WP + Wg = 0 + P L + mgL

mvf2 = (P + mg)L

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Example: A truck is going down a

hill with a speed of V. The driver
sees a brick wall ahead in the middle
of the road. If coefficient of friction
between the tires and the road is , at
what distance D ahead of the wall must the driver apply the
brakes if she chooses not to hit the wall?

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Wnet = Kf Ki = mvf2 mvi2

VN + Wf + Wgrav = m(0)2 m(V)2

W
0 + ( f D) + mg D cos(90E )
= 0 m (V)2
N D + mg D sin = m V2
To get N:

Fy = Ny + Fgrav,y + fy = m ay

= (+N) + (S mg cos) + 0 = m(0)

Caution
Caution: N = (mg cos) ; never assume N = mg

D (mg cos) + D mg sin = mV2

D = V2 / (g cos g sin)

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POWER
Power is the rate of work that is done on an object; i.e.,
how fast work (an energy) is done on something. This
means it is a scalar quantity.
F to an
The instantaneous POWER supplied by force P
object moving with velocity vector P
v equals the dot product
of the velocity P
v with the force vector P
F:

PF = P
F CP
v
Note that P can be positive or negative.

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BIENIEKS RULES OF POWER

1. If the power acting on object is positive, it speeds up
because there is a component of force in the direction of
velocity vector; and vice versa.
2. If the power on an object is negative, it slows down
because there is a component of force opposite to the
velocity.
3. If a force acts perpendicular to velocity, it delivers no
power to the object and the speed doesnt change.

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Example: One day you are pressing

against a wooden block that is sliding
down a vertical wall and decelerating. The
force P
F youre applying to the block has
magnitude F = 50 N, and is inclined
upward with respect to the horizontal by
angle = 20E. The coefficient of friction
between the block and wall is k= 0.10.
When the speed of the block is V = 2 m/s,
what is the power delivered to the block by force P
F?
PF = P
F CP
V = F V cosFV
= F V cos( + 90E)= F V cos(20E+ 90E)
= 50 (2) (S 0.342) = S 34.2 W
Note: Coord system doesn't come into it.
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