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Edexcel International A Level Your notes

Physics
Work, Energy & Power
Contents
1.17 Work
1.18 Kinetic Energy
1.19 Gravitational Potential Energy
1.20 The Principle of Conservation of Energy
1.21 Power
1.22 Efficiency

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1.17 Work
Your notes
Work
Work is defined as
The amount of energy transferred when an external force causes an object to move over a
certain distance
If the force is parallel to the direction of the object's displacement, the work done can be calculated
using the equation:
ΔW = FΔs

Where:
ΔW = change in work done (J)
F = average force applied in the direction of the motion (N)
s = displacement (m)
Force in the direction of the motion means that when a force is applied at an angle the component in
the direction of motion is used to calculate, rather than the whole force
In the diagram below, the man’s pushing force on the block is doing work as it is transferring energy to
the block

Work is done when a force is used to move an object over a distance

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When pushing a block, work is done against friction to give the box kinetic energy to move
The kinetic energy is transferred to other forms of energy such as heat and sound
Your notes
Usually, if a force acts in the direction that an object is moving then the object will gain energy
If the force acts in the opposite direction to the movement then the object will lose energy
Calculating with Force at an Angle
Sometimes the direction of motion of an object is not parallel to the direction of the force
If the force is at an angle θ to the object's displacement, the work done is calculated by:
W = Fs cos θ
or
W = Fs sin θ
Where θ is the angle, in degrees, between the direction of the force and the motion
When the angle is between the force and the horizontal use cosine
When the angle is between the force and the vertical, use sine
The component needed is the one that is parallel to the displacement

When the force is at an angle, only the component of the force in the direction of motion is considered
for the work done

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Worked example
Your notes
The diagram shows a barrel of weight 2.5 × 103 N on a frictionless slope inclined at 40° to the
horizontal.

A force is applied to the barrel to move it up the slope at a constant speed. The force is parallel to the
slope.
What is the work done in moving the barrel a distance of 6.0 m up the slope?

Step 1: Write the known values from the question

Force acting downwards, F = 2.5 × 103 N
Angle of the slope, θ = 40o
Displacement, s = 6.0 m
Step 2: Find the force in the direction of motion by resolving the forces
Draw a diagram, showing the weight acting downwards
Resolve the weight into two components
The first component is parallel to the slope - the same as the direction of the motion; this is W sin θ
The second is at right angles to the slope, showing the normal reaction force (this component, W
cos θ is not used in this answer)

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Your notes

Force acting along the slope, F = W sin (40) = 2.5 × 103 × sin (40) = 1 607 N
Step 3: Write the equation for work done and substitute in the values
ΔW = FΔs = 1 607 × 6.0 = 9 642

Step 4: Give the answer to the correct number of significant figures and with units
ΔW = FΔs = 1 607 × 6.0 = 9.6 × 103 J

Examiner Tip
A common exam mistake is choosing the incorrect force which is not parallel to the direction of
movement of an object.
You may have to resolve the force vector first in order to find the correct, parallel component.
The applied force does not have to be in the same direction as the movement, as shown in the worked
example. In fact, in most cases we apply a force at an angle to move something, because it saves us
having to lean down to the height of whatever we are pulling or pushing!

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1.18 Kinetic Energy

Your notes
Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy (usually written Ek and sometimes KE) is the energy an object has due to its motion (or
velocity)
The faster an object moves, the greater its kinetic energy
When an object is falling, it is gaining kinetic energy since it is gaining speed
This energy transferred from the gravitational potential energy it is losing
An object will maintain this kinetic energy unless its speed changes
Kinetic energy can be calculated using the following equation:

Kinetic energy (KE): The energy an object has when it is moving

Derivation of Kinetic Energy Equation
A force can make an object accelerate; work is done by the force and energy is transferred to the
object

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Using this concept of work done and an equation of motion, the extra work done due to an object's
speed can be derived
The derivation for this equation is shown below: Your notes

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Your notes

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Your notes

Worked example
A body travelling with a speed of 12 m s–1 has kinetic energy 1650 J.
If the speed of the body is increased to 45 m s–1, estimate its new kinetic energy.

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Examiner Tip
Your notes
When using the kinetic energy equation, note that only the speed is squared, not the mass or the ½.
If a question asks about the ‘loss of kinetic energy’, remember not to include a negative sign since
energy is a scalar quantity.

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1.19 Gravitational Potential Energy

Your notes
Gravitational Potential Energy
Gravitational potential energy (usually written Ep, but sometimes GPE) is energy stored in a mass due to
its position in a gravitational field
If a mass is lifted up, it will gain Ep (converted from other forms of energy)
If a mass falls, it will lose Ep (and be converted to other forms of energy)
The equation for gravitational potential energy for energy changes in a uniform gravitational field is:

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Your notes

Gravitational potential energy (GPE): The energy an object has when lifted up
The potential energy on the Earth’s surface at ground level is taken to be equal to 0
This equation is only relevant for energy changes in a uniform gravitational field (such as near the
Earth’s surface)
Derivation of GPE Equation
When a heavy object is lifted, work is done since the object is provided with an upward force against
the downward force of gravity
Therefore, energy is transferred to the object
This equation can therefore be derived from the work done

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Your notes

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Worked example
Your notes
To get to his apartment a man has to climb five flights of stairs.
The height of each flight is 3.7 m and the man has a mass of 74 kg.
What is the approximate gain in the man's gravitational potential energy during the climb?
A. 13 000 J B. 2700 J C. 1500 J D. 12 500 J

Examiner Tip
Gravitational potential energy questions often use falling objects, where you are expected to realise
that, since energy is conserved, the gravitational potential energy at the start is equal to the kinetic
energy at the end.

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1.20 The Principle of Conservation of Energy

Your notes
The Principle of Conservation of Energy
The principle of conservation of energy is a law of Physics which always applies to a closed system

To apply conservation of energy, heat losses are usually ignored during the calculation stage
In reality there are always some energy losses from the system
These should be mentioned when comparing calculated, ideal values to real-life situations
Conservation of energy is often applied in questions about exchanges between kinetic energy and
gravitational energy
Common examples include:
A swinging pendulum
Objects in free fall
Sports such as skiing or skydiving where gravity is causing motion and few drag forces apply
The gravitational potential energy stored initially is transferred to kinetic energy, or vice versa
This allows either;
Final velocity to be found from the distance the object moved, or
Height of a drop from the final velocity

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Worked example
Your notes
The diagram below shows a skier on a slope descending 750 m at an angle of 25° to the horizontal.

Calculate the final speed of the skier, assuming that he starts from rest and 15% of his initial
gravitational potential energy is not transferred to kinetic energy.

Step 1: Write down the known quantities

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Your notes

Vertical height, h = 750 sin 25°

Ek = 0.85 Ep
Step 2: Equate the equations for Ek and Egrav
Ek = 0.85 Egrav
½ mv2 = 0.85 × mgh
Step 3: Rearrange for final speed, v

Step 4: Calculate the final speed, v

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Examiner Tip
Your notes
Gravitational energy:
This equation only works for objects close to the Earth’s surface where we can consider the
gravitational field to be uniform.
Kinetic energy:
When using the kinetic energy equation, note that only the speed is squared, not the mass or the
½.
If a question asks about the ‘loss of kinetic energy’, remember not to include a negative sign since
energy is a scalar quantity.

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1.21 Power
Your notes
Power
The power of a mechanical process is the rate at which energy is transferred
Since work done is equal to the energy transferred, power can also be defined as the rate of doing
work or the work done per unit time
Power is measured in Watts (W)
Since power is energy used per unit time, 1 W = 1 J s–1
Power can be calculated using the equation:

Worked example
A car engine exerts the following force for 1.0 km in 200 s.

Determine what is the average power developed by the engine.

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Your notes

Examiner Tip
Power is also used in electricity, with labels on lightbulbs which indicate their power, such as 60 W or
100 W, which indicate the amount of energy transferred by an electrical current rather than by a force
doing work. Just remembering 'energy per unit time' will help, as it doesn't matter what kind of energy
is being transferred.
When working with power equations the numbers are often very large, so expect to see kW, MW and
even GW in questions.
(In case you forgot... kW means × 103. MW means × 106, and GW means × 109. If you weren't sure, go
and revise S.I. Units!)

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1.22 Efficiency
Your notes
Efficiency
The efficiency of a system is a measure of how well energy is transferred in a system
Efficiency is defined as:
The ratio of the useful power or energy transfer output from a system to its total power or
energy transfer input
If a system has high efficiency, this means most of the energy transferred is useful
If a system has low efficiency, this means most of the energy transferred is wasted
Determining which type of energy is useful or wasted depends on the system
When electrical energy is converted to light in a lightbulb, the light energy is useful and the heat
energy produced is wasted
When electrical energy is converted to heat for a heater, the heat energy is useful and the sound
energy produced is wasted
Efficiency can be given as a ratio (between 0 and 1) or a percentage (between 0 and 100%)
Since efficiency is a ratio, it has no units
Calculate energy efficiency and power efficiency in the same way, using one of the following
equations;

The energy can be of any form e.g. gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy

Where power is defined as the energy transferred per unit of time

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Worked example
Your notes
An electric motor has an efficiency of 35 %. It lifts a 7.2 kg load through a height of 5 m in 3 s.
Calculate the power of the motor.

Step 1: Write down the efficiency equation

Step 2: Rearrange for the power input

Step 3: Calculate the power output

The power output is equal to energy ÷ time
The electric motor transferred electric energy into gravitational potential energy to lift the load
Gravitational potential energy = mgh = 7.2 × 9.81 × 5 = 353.16 J
Power = 353.16 ÷ 3 = 117.72 W
Step 4: Substitute values into power input equation

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Worked example
Your notes
The diagram shows a pump called a hydraulic ram.

In one such pump, the long approach pipe holds 700 kg of water. A valve shuts when the speed of this
water reaches 3.5 m s-1 and the kinetic energy of this water is used to lift a small quantity of water by
height of 12m.
The efficiency of the pump is 20%.
Determine the mass of water which could be lifted 12 m

Step 1: Identify the energy conversions and write them in an equation

The kinetic energy of the moving water is converted to gravitational potential energy as it is lifted
The equation should be that;
1
initial E k = final E grav → mv 2 = mgΔh
2
Step 2: Include the efficiency in the equation
Efficiency = 20% meaning 20% of the kinetic energy is converted;
1
0.2 × mv 2 = mgΔh
2
Step 3: Substitute in the values and calculate

1
0.2 × × 700 × (3 . 52) = m × 9 . 81 × 12
2

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857 . 5 = 117 . 72 m
m = 7.284 Your notes
Step 4: Write the answer with the correct significant figures and units
Mass of water lifted, m = 7.3 kg (2 s.f.)

Examiner Tip
In efficiency calculations decide before starting where the energy is lost from the system.
In the example above, the pump is what converts the water’s kinetic energy into gravitational
potential energy, and it is the pump whose efficiency we are given. That means the losses are from the
kinetic energy.
Don't just calculate then deduct the efficiency at the end - this can lead to lots of work for no marks.
Which isn't very efficient!

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