A student pushes hard against a wall for a long time and the wall does not move. Did the student do work? In physics the answer is no. Here we learn what work means, how to measure it in joules, and when it is positive, negative or zero.
3 lessons, about 1 h 15 min3 simulations10 problems6 practice questionsPython in every lesson
Created by StemPy LabIn physics, work is done when a force makes an object move along the force. Work is the force times the distance moved, and we measure it in joules.
Work is positive when the force is along the motion, negative when the force is against the motion, and zero when the force is at right angles to the motion.
To lift a load at a steady speed we need a force equal to its weight, so the work is . To pull a load along the ground, the work is the friction force times the distance.
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