Work, Power, and Simple Machines Practice Problems

1.) Inclined Plane

Mr. Kubasta is trying to shove a box full of his ungraded papers in the back of his
car and has to use a ramp. The ramp length is 2.0 meters long, and his ungraded
papers have a weight of 150 Newtons. The height from the ground to his car is 0.50
meters, and he shoves with a force of 55 Newtons. What is the mechanical efficiency
of the ramp he is using?

1. ) ME = Mechanical efficiency
2. ) d = 2.0 m, F = 150 N, d = 0.50 m, F = 55 N
3. ) W = F x d , W = F x d , ME =
W
W
x 100
4. ) W = 150 N m 75 J
W = 55 N m 110 J,
ME =
75 J
110 J
x 68%
5. ) ME = 68%
i o o i
o o o i i i
o
i
o
i
b gb g
b gb g
0 50
2 0
100
. ,
.
=
=
=

2.) Pulley

Mr. Kubastas ramp broke so he tried to lift the his 150 Newton box of ungraded
papers with a pulley system. Mr. Kubasta had to pull the rope in his system 3.0
meters. The papers were lifted into his car by the pulley system which lifted the box
1.5 meters, while Mr. Kubasta only used 85 Newtons of force. What was the actual
mechanical advantage and the ideal mechanical advantage of his pulley system?

1. ) AMA = Actual mechanical advantage
IMA = Ideal mechanical advantage
2. ) F = 150 N, d = 3.0 m, d = 1.5 m, F = 85 N
3. ) AMA =
F
F
IMA =
d
d
AMA =
150 N
85 N
1.8,
IMA =
3.0 m
1.5 m
2.0
5. ) AMA = 1.8, IMA = 2.0
o i o i
o
i
i
o
,
. ) 4 =
=
3.) Work and Power

Mr. Kubastas pulley also broke so he actually decided to grade the papers at
school. As he was grading papers, he dropped his pen on the ground. It took him
2.4 seconds to pick up his pen and begin grading again. If the pen has a weight of
0.25 Newtons and in picking up the pen it was lifted 1.7 meters, how much work was
done and how much power was used in lifting the pen?

1. ) W = work, P = power
2. ) d = 1.7 m, F = 0.25 N, t = 2.4 s
3. ) W = F x d, P =
W
t
W = 0.25 N m 0.43 J,
P =
0.43 J
2.4 s
0.18 W
5. ) W = 4.3 x 10 J, P = 1.8 x 10 W
-1 -1
4 1 7 . ) .
b gb g
=
=


4.) Pulley

A father and son are working together to build a tree house. In order to pull the
nails and plywood up to the main floor, they must use a pulley system. The ideal
mechanical advantage of the pulley system they are using is 5. The mass of the
wood and nails together is 49 kilograms. The distance that the father and son have
to pull the rope in order for the system to work is 30 meters. How high is the main
floor?


1. ) d = Distance output
2. ) IMA = 5, d = 30 m
3. ) IMA =
d
d
d =
d
IMA
d =
30 m
5
6 m
5. ) d = 6 m
o
i
i
o
o
i
o
o
,
. ) 4 =


5.) Pulley

Some kids were in their secret fort house and wanted dinner. One of the kids used a
walkie-talkie to contact their mother. She put the childrens food into a bucket and
went inside. The pulley system that the kids created has an actual mechanical
advantage 6.1 and requires an input force of 1.3 Newtons in order to raise their
dinner. What is the force of the food?

1. ) F = Force output
2. ) AMA = 6.1, F = 1.3 N
3. ) AMA =
F
F
F = AMA
F = 6.1 N 7.9 N
5. ) F = 7.9 N
o
i
o
i
o
o
o
,
. ) .
b gb g
b gb g
F
i
4 1 3 =






6.) Inclined Plane

A traveling circus arrived in town and after an emergency, had to leave
immediately. The ringmaster wanted to push his 81.5 Newton box up into a truck
with an inclined plane that has and actual mechanical advantage of 5.4. How much
force did the ringmaster use to push the box up the ramp?

1. ) F = Force input
2. ) AMA = 5.4, F = 81.5 N
3. ) AMA =
F
F
F =
F
AMA
F =
81.5 N
5.4
15.1 N
5. ) F = 1.51 x 10 N
i
o
o
i
i
o
i
i
1
,
. ) 4 =




7.) Inclined Plane

A group of skateboarders were trying to build a ramp with a height of 2.0 meters.
They were short on wood so they decided to use drywall that they found in the trash
instead. The length of the ramp was 3.6 meters. Finally the ramp was built so the
first skater attempted to jump. However, the ramp broke, the skater then fell and
was injured. The paramedics showed up and had to use an inclined plane in order
to get the skater into the ambulance. The EMTs had to push the skaters heavy 200
pound body up the 4.1 meter long inclined plane. The EMTs pushed with a force of
16.2 Newtons to get him into the ambulance. If the ideal mechanical advantage of
the inclined plane that was used is 6, how high from the ground was the ambulance?

1
4
. )
,
. )
d = Distance output
2. ) IMA = 6, d = 4.1 m
3. ) IMA =
d
d
d =
d
IMA
d =
4.1 m
6
0.68 m
5. ) d = 6.8 x 10 m
o
i
i
o
o
i
o
o
-1
=

8.) Work

Mr. Kubasta got a new hammer for his birthday and he was pretty happy with his
new hammer too. His hammer was the XWS 0.30 meter long hammer, and it
weighed in at 21.609 Newtons. Part of his gift was to fix the wall that he punched a
hole in when Missouri lost to Oklahoma. He got nails that were 0.49 Newtons each
from his friend, as part of the gift. While repairing the wall, Mr. Kubasta did 89
joules of work every time he hit a nail with his hammer. However, this time Mr.
Kubasta hit his thumb instead of the nail. With how much force did Mr. Kubasta
hit his thumb if every time he wants to hit a nail, he starts the hammer 0.50 meters
away?

1. ) F = Force
2. ) d = 0.50 m, W = 89 J
3. ) W = F x d, F =
W
d
F =
89 J
0.50 m
180 N
5. ) F = 1.8 x 10 N
2
4. ) =
9.) Inclined Plane

Your family just got transferred to North Carolina, right near the beach, and its
REALLY pretty. Ok, so you have these mover guys, named Fred and George.
Together both of them do 550 joules of work pushing a box up a ramp. The ramp
that they push the box up is 7.0 meters long and 3.0 meters off of the ground. How
heavy was the box they were pushing if the actual mechanical advantage of the
ramp was 2.2?

1. ) F = Force output
2. ) W = 550 J, d = 7.0 m, d = 3.0 m, AMA = 2.2
3. ) W = F x d , F =
W
d
, W = F x d ,
AMA =
F
F
F = AMA
F =
550 J
7.0 m
79 N, F = 2.2 N 170 N
5. ) F = 1.7 x 10 N
o
i i o
i i i i
i
i
o o o
o
i
o
i o
o
2
,
. )
b gb g
b gb g
F
i
4 7 = = 9



10.) Lever

Mr. Kubasta, who is fond of gardening, is pushing a wheelbarrow with a force of 5.0
Newtons. There are 9.8 Newtons worth of horse manure in the barow. The length
from the wheel to the end of the handles is 0.6 meters and the length of the wheel to
the bucket is 0.2 meters. What is the ideal mechanical advantage of the
wheelbarrow?

1
4
. )
. )
IMA = Ideal mechanical advantage
2. ) l = 0.6 m, l = 0.2 m
3. ) IMA =
l
l
IMA =
0.6 m
0.2 m
3
5. ) IMA = 3
i o
i
o
=
11.) Pulley

I am taking a trip to the Magic House. I want to tey to pull up my own weight on
one of the Pulley Seats. I weigh 650 Newtons and I want to raise myself 2.0
meters. What is the work done by the pulley system if I am successful?

1. ) W = Work
2. ) F = 650 N, d = 2.0 m
3. ) W = F x d
4. ) W = 650 N m 1,300 J
5. ) W = 1.3 x 10 J
3
b gb g
2 0 . =
































12.) Pulley

Tommy has a well in his backyard. To get water from it, he has to use a bucket and
a pulley system with 3 support ropes. Tommy has to pull down on the rope for the
bucket to come up. From the bottom of the well to the top of the pulley system, is a
distance of 5.0 meters. You use a force of 50.0 Newtons, and move the rope 15.0
meters. Draw a diagram of the pulley system and answer the following questions:
What is the work done by the machine, the work done by Tommy, the IMA, the
AMA, and the mechanical efficiency?


1. ) W = Work output, W = Work input, IMA =
Ideal mecahnical advantage, AMA = Actual
mechanical advantage, ME = Mechanical efficiency
2. ) IMA = 3, d = 5.0 m, F = 50.0 N, d = 15.0 m
3. ) W = F x d , W = F x d , IMA =
d
d
,
AMA =
F
F
, ME =
W
W
x 100, W W,
F x d F x d F
F x d
d
4. ) F
N 15.0 m
m
150 N,
W = 150 N m 750 J,
o i
o i i
o o o i i i
i
o
o
i
o
i
o i
o o i i o
i i
o
o
o

=
=
,
.
.
.
50 0
5 0
5 0
b gb g
b gb g
W = 50.0 N m 750 J,
IMA =
15.0 m
5.0 m
3.0, AMA
150 N
50 N
3,
ME =
750 J
750 J
x 100 = 100%
5. ) W = 7.5 x 10 J, W = 7.50 x 10 J, IMA = 3.0,
AMA 3, ME = 100%
i
o
2
i
2
b gb g
15 0 . =
=

13.) Inclined Plane

Dave rents a truck to move his collection of furniture from his home, to his new
store. He is having a hard time deciding how to get the antique sofa onto the truck.
He decides to use a ramp to get the sofa onto the truck. The ramp is 3.2 meters long,
and the bed of the truck is 1.3 meters off of the ground. The sofa weighs 111 pounds
and Dave uses a force of 150 Newtons to push the sofa up the ramp. Draw and label
the machine and find the mechanical efficiency of the machine. Based on the
efficiency, do you think he made a good decision by using the ramp?

1. ) ME = Mechanical efficiency
2. ) d = 1.3 m, d = 3.2 m, F = 150 N, F = 111 lbs.
3. ) W = F x d , W = F x d , ME =
W
W
x
F =
lbs.
1
1 kg
2.205 lbs.
9.8 N
1 kg
493 N
W = 493 N m 640 J,
W = 150 N m 480 J,
ME =
640 J
480 J
130%
5. ) ME = 130%, Yes but it is impossible to have a
mechanical efficiency over 100%
o i i o
o o o i i i
o
i
o
o
i
100
4
111
1 3
3 2
. )
.
.
F
H
G
I
K
J
F
H
G
I
K
J
F
H
G
I
K
J
=
=
=
=
b gb g
b gb g

















14.) Lever

There is a huge boulder in Mikes backyard. Mike wants to uproot the boulder
from the ground. He decides to use a lever to get the boulder out of the ground.
The length of the input arm is 1.2 meters and the length of the output arm is 3.1
meters. Mike puts in a force of 25 Newtons and the distance input is 0.50 meters.
What class of lever did he use and what was the mechanical efficiency of the lever?

1. ) ME = Mechanical efficiency
2. ) l = 1.2 m, l = 3.1 m, F = 25 N, d = 0.50 m
3. ) ME =
W
W
x 100, IMA =
l
l
d =
d
IMA
W = F x d W = F x d , W W F
F x d
d

IMA =
1.2 m
3.1 m
0.39, d =
0.50 m
0.39
1.3 m,
F
25 N m
m
9.6 N,
W = 9.6 N m 12 J, W = 25 N m 13 J,
i o i i
o
i
i
o
o
i
o o o i i i o i o
i i
o
o
o
o i
=

= =
=
= =
d
d
i
o
,
, ,
. )
.
.
. .
4
0 50
1 3
1 3 0 50
b gb g
b gb g b gb g
ME =
12 J
13 J
x 100 = 92%
5. ) ME = 92%, 1st class lever
















15.) Pulley

Mark is a construction worker at a construction site attempting to lift a 1.6 x 10
3

Newton I-beam 24 meters. He is using a pulley system with 6 support ropes. How
much work is Mark doing to lift the I-beam? (Assume no friction)

1. ) W = Work input
2. ) F = 1.6 x 10 N, d = 24 m,
No friction. . . . . W = W
W = F x d , W = W
W = 1.6 x 10 N m 38,000 J = W
W = 3.8 x 10 J
i
o
3
o
o i
o o o o o
o
3
i
i
4
3
4 24
5
. )
. )
. )
d i
b g
=


16.) Pulley

Samantha is up in a tree house wanting to bring her dog, Scout, up with her. Scout
dog weighs 32 pounds. The tree house is 4 meters high. She builds a pulley system
using only 3 pulleys, yet has an IMA of 4. How much force will Samantha have to
apply to get Scout up into the tree house? Also, calculate the distance input.
(Assume there is no friction)

1. ) F = Force input, d = Distance input
2. ) F = 32 lbs. , d = 4 m, IMA = 4
3. ) IMA =
d
d
, d = W = F x d ,
W = F x d W W F =
d
d = 4 m 16 m,
F =
lbs 1 kg
2.205 lbs.
9.8 N
1 kg
140 N,
F =
N 4 m
m
40 N
5. ) F = 4 x 10 N, d =
i i
o o
i
o
i i
o o o o i i
i
i
o
i
i
1
i
d IMA
F d
o
o o
b gb g
b gb g
b gb g
b gb g
,
, ,
. )
.

=
F
H
G
I
K
J
F
H
G
I
K
J
F
H
G
I
K
J
=
=
4 4
32
1
140
16
1.6 x 10 m
1
i i
17.) Pulley

In the play Peter Pan, Tinker Bell has to be lifted 2.4 meters off of the ground to
produce the illusion of flying. Poor little Timmy was assigned to lift Tinker bell who
weighs 160 pounds. The pulley system that they are using is not very efficient at
only 17%. How much work does poor little Timmy have to do to lift Tinker Bell?

1. ) W = Work input
2. ) d = 2.4 m, F = 160 lbs. , ME = 17%
3. ) W = F x d, W = F x d, ME =
W
W
x 100
4. ) F =
160 lbs.
1
kg
2.205 lbs.
9.8 N
1 kg
710 N,
W = 710 N 2.4 m = 1,700 N,
17% =
1,700 J
W
, 0.17 =
1,700 J
W
W =
1,700 J
0.17
W = 10,000 J
5. ) W = 1.0 x 10 J
i
o o
o
i
o
o
i i
i
i
4
F
H
G
I
K
J
F
H
G
I
K
J
F
H
G
I
K
J
=
1
b gb g
, ,


18.) Lever

Kevin is sweeping out his garage. The broom stick has an AMA of 6. The broom
did 1.2 joules of work and moved 1.8 meters. How much force does Kevin need to
use, and what id the force of the scraps he is sweeping?

1. ) F = Force input, F = Force output
2. ) AMA = 6, W = 1.2 J, d = 1.8 m
3. ) W = F x d , F =
W
d
AMA =
F
F
F =
F
AMA
4. ) F =
1.2 N x m
m
0.67 N, F =
0.67 N
6
0.11 N
5. ) F = 1.1 x 10 N, F = 6.7 x 10 N
i o
o o
o o o o
o
o
o
i
i
o
o i
-1 -1
, ,
. 1 8
= =


19.) Inclined Plane

Courtney, Sarah, and Marisa are trying to move a box weighing 90 Newtons. They
decide to use a ramp 3.0 meters long. Together they all push the box up the ramp
with a force of 12 Newtons. How much work are they doing?

1. ) W = Work input
2. ) F = 90 N, d = 3.0 m, F = 12 N
3. ) W = F x d
4. ) W = 12 N m 36 J
5. ) W = 3.6 x 10 J
i
o i i
i i i
i
i
1
b gb g
3 0 . =