Chapter 3

Work and Energy

 Energy

Kinetic energy

Potential energy
 3.1 Introduction:Work

Work W is energy transferred to or from an object by

means of a force acting on the object. Energy
transferred to the object is positive work, and energy
transferred from the object is negative work.
 
W F r

The SI unit of energy is joule (J),

 3.2 KINETIC ENERGY
3.2.1 Definition
Kinetic energy K is energy associated with the state of
motion of an object. The faster the object moves, the
greater is its kinetic energy. When the object is
stationary, its kinetic energy is zero.
K  12 mv 2

3.2.2 Work-Kinetic energy theorem Definition

K K f  K i W

K f Ki  W
3.2.3 Work done by a general variable force

xf
W
 F ( x)dx
xi
3.2.4 Work done by a spring force

Hooke’s Law
 
Fs  kd
Fx  kx

Workdone
xf
W
 F ( x)dx
xi

xf

 kxdx
xi

Ws  12 kxi2  1 kx 2
2 f
3.2.5 Work–Kinetic Energy Theorem
xf xf
W
 F ( x)dx  madx
xi xi

dv
madx m dx
dt
From the chain rule of calculus we have

dv dv dx dv
 v
dt dx dt dx

madx mvdv
vf
W
 mvdv
vi

W  12 mv 2f  1 mv 2
2 i
3.2.6 Power
The time rate at which work is done by a force is said
to be the power due to the force. As a result:

W
Average power Pave 
t

dW
Instantaneous power P
dt
xample (3.01)
One end of a horizontal spring k = 80N/m is held fixed while an external force
is applied to the free end, stretching it slowly from xA = 0 to xB = 4.0cm.
(a) Find the work done by the external force on the string.
b) Find the additional work done in stretching the spring from xB = 4.0cm to xC =
7.0cm

Solution

Ws  12 kxi2  1 kx 2
2 f

 12 80 0.0402

0.064 J

Ws  12 kxi2  1 kx 2
2 f
xample (3.02)
A 6.00kg block initially at rest is pulled to the right along a horizontal
frictionless surface by a constant horizontal force of magnitude 12.0N. Find
the speed of the block after it has moved 3.00m.

Solution

W K f  Ki

 12 mv 2f

W 36 J

v 3.46m / s
xample (3.03)
A massless spring that has a force constant of 1000N/m is placed on a table
in a vertical position. A block of mass 1.60kg is held 1.00m above the free
end of the spring. The block is dropped from rest so that it falls vertically onto
the spring. By what maximum distance does the spring compress?

Solution
W K f  Ki
 
Wnet Fg r  12 kx 2

( mg ) ˆj.( 1  d ) ˆj  1 kx 2
2

(1.6 9.8)(1  d )  1 (1000) d 2

2

 500d 2  15.7 d  15.7

 Since total kinetic energy is zero

0  500d 2  15.7 d  15.7

d 0.19m or d  0.16m

d 0.19m

xample (3.04)
A block of mass 6.00kg initially at rest is pulled to the right by a constant
horizontal force with magnitude 12.0N. The coefficient of kinetic friction
between the block and the surface is 0.150. Find the speed of the block after
it has moved 3.0m. v 1.78m / s
f
 3.3 POTENTIAL ENERGY
Technically, potential energy is energy that can be
associated with the configuration (arrangement) of a
system of objects that exert forces on one another.
U g mgh

3.3.2 Work and Potential Energy

W U g
 
(mg ) r
3.3.3 Conservative and non-Conservative forces

A conservative force is a force between members of

a system that causes no transformation of mechanical
energy to internal energy within the system.
The work done by a conservative force is independent
of the path followed by the members of the system
and depends only on the initial and final configurations
of the system.
It follows that work done by a conservative force when
a member of the system is moved through a closed
path is equal to zero.
e.g gravitational force, spring force
A force that is not conservative is called a non-
conservative force.

e.g. kinetic frictional force and drag force.

e.g. a block sliding across a floor that is not

frictionless. During the sliding, a kinetic energy is
transferred to thermal energy or heat (which has to do
with the random motions of atoms and molecules)

This energy transfer cannot be reversed by the kinetic

frictional force.
3.3.4 Conservation of mechanical energy
Emec U  K

The mechanical energy Emec of a system is the sum of

its potential energy U and the kinetic energy K of the
objects within it:

This principle of conservation of mechanical energy is

written as: In an isolated system where only
conservative forces cause energy changes, the kinetic
energy and potential energy can change, but their
sum, which is the mechanical energy of the system,
cannot change.
U  K 0
K f  K i  (U f  U i )

Ki  U i K f  U f
3.3.5 Conservation of energy
The total energy E of a system (the sum of its
mechanical energy and its internal energies, including
thermal energy) can change only by amounts of energy
that are transferred to or from the system.

This experimental fact is known as the law of

conservation of energy.

Ei E f
xample (3.05)
A 2.0 kg box slides along a floor with speed v1 = 4.0 m/s. It then runs into and
compresses a spring, until the box momentarily stops. Its path to the initially
relaxed spring is frictionless, but as it compresses the spring, a kinetic
frictional force from the floor, of magnitude 15 N, acts on the package. If k
=10 000 N/m, by what distance d is the spring compressed when the package
stops?

Solution
K i  U i  Ti K f  U f  T f

K i  U i  Ti  12 mv 2  0  ( F fr d )

K f  U f  T f 0  12 kd 2  0

1 mv 2  F fr d  12 kd 2
2

0 5000d 2  15d  16
d 5.5cm