WORK, ENERGY AND POWER
WORK
Work is done when force produces motion.
Work = Force x distance moved in the direction of force
Work = Force x distance
S.I unit of work is Newton meter. This unit of work is called Joule which can be defined as: When
a force of 1 Newton moves a body through a distance of 1 meter in its own direction, then the work
done is known as 1 Joule. Work is a scalar quantity.
Work done against Gravity
Work done in lifting a body = Weight of body x vertical distance
W = mgh
1. How much work is done by a force of 10N in moving an object through a distance of 1m in
the direction of force? (10J)
2. A car weighing 1000 Kg and traveling at 30m/s stops at a distance of 50m decelerating
uniformly. What is the force exerted on it by the brakes? What is the work done by the
brakes? (4.5x 105J)
Energy: Energy is the ability to do work. S.I unit of energy is Joule. Energy is a
scalar quantity.
Kinetic energy: The energy of a body due to its motion is called kinetic energy.
Formula for kinetic energy:
Consider a body of mass m which is initially at rest (u = o). Let F be the force acting on it and it
accelerates uniformly with an acceleration ‘a’. Let v be the final velocity and s is the displacement
during this time interval.
Work done by the force W = FxS
From Newtons second law of motion F = ma
W = mas
v2 = u2 + 2as
v2 = 2as (u = o)
as = v2/2
∴ W = mv2 = ½ m v2
2
K.E = Work done = ½ m v2
K.E = ½ m v2
1. Calculate the K.E of a body of mass 2 kg moving with a velocity of 0.1 m/sec (0.01 J)
2. Find the momentum of a body of mass 100gm having a kinetic energy of 20J.
3. How fast should a man of mass 50 kg run so that his K.E be 625J?
Potential Energy
The energy of a body due to its position or change in shape is known as potential energy.
Expression for potential energy:
Consider a body of mass ‘m’ lifted to a height of ‘h’ above the ground level.
Work done = Force x distance = mg x h (F=mg)
This work gets stored up in the body as potential energy.
Potential energy = mgh
1. If acceleration due to gravity is 10m/s2. What will be potential energy of a body of mass
1Kg kept at a height of 5m?
2. To what height should a box of mass 150 Kg be lifted, so that its P.E becomes 7350 Joules?
(g=9.8m/s2).
3. A boy weighing 40 Kg makes a high jump of 1.5m.
(i) What is his kinetic energy at the highest point?
(ii) What is his P.E at the highest point? (g = 10m/s2)
Transformation of energy
The change of one form of energy in to another form of energy is known as transformation of
energy.
Eg: In a steam engine heat energy is converted in to K.E.
In a motor electrical energy is converted in to mechanical energy; a cell or battery converts
chemical energy in to electrical energy; a lamp converts electrical energy in to light energy.
Law of conservation of energy
Whenever energy changes from one form to another, the total amount of energy remains constant
or energy can neither be created nor destroyed.
Power
Power is defined as the rate of doing work
Power = Work done = Energy
Time taken Time taken
S.I unit of power is watt and it is the rate of doing work at 1 Joule per second.
Relation between commercial and S.I unit of energy.
The commercial unit of energy Kilowatt hour and S.I unit of energy is Joules
1 kwh = 1kw x 1 h
= 1000 w x 3600 s
= 3600000J
1 kwh = 3.6 x 106J
1. A body does 20 Joules of work in 5 seconds. What is its power?
2. What is the power of a pump which takes 10 seconds to lift 100 Kg of water to a water tank
situated at a height of 20m?
3. In a house one 100 watt bulb is lighted for 2 hours and two 60 watt bulb for 4 hours
daily.Calculate the electrical units consumed in 30 day ?
4. An electric heater is rated 1500 w. How much energy does it use in 5 hours?
