GCSE Physics Tutorial - Unit for Work Done
Work is a measure of the energy transferred to or from an object when a force is applied to it, causing it to move a certain distance in the direction of the force. The unit for work done is an important concept in physics and is used to quantify the amount of energy transferred during a process.
Unit for Work Done: The unit for work done is the joule (J). One joule is equal to the work done when a force of one newton is applied to an object, and the object is displaced by one meter in the direction of the force.
Mathematically, we can express work (W) in joules as:
Work (W) = Force (F) × Displacement (d) × cos(θ)
Where:
W is the work done on the object (measured in joules, J).
F is the force applied to the object (measured in newtons, N).
d is the displacement of the object in the direction of the force (measured in meters, m).
θ is the angle between the direction of the force and the direction of the displacement.
The joule (J) is a derived unit in the International System of Units (SI) and is widely used in various branches of physics and engineering to quantify energy, work, and heat.
Examples:
If a person lifts a box with a force of 20 N to a height of 2 meters, the work done can be calculated as follows:
Work (W) = 20 N × 2 m × cos(0°) Work (W) = 20 N × 2 m × 1 (cos(0°) = 1) Work (W) = 40 J
If a force of 30 N is used to push a cart horizontally for a distance of 5 meters on a flat surface at an angle of 60 degrees with the horizontal, the work done can be calculated as:
Work (W) = 30 N × 5 m × cos(60°) Work (W) = 30 N × 5 m × 0.5 (cos(60°) = 0.5) Work (W) = 75 J
The joule (J) is the standard unit for work done in physics. It represents the energy transferred when a force is applied to an object, causing it to move a certain distance in the direction of the force. Understanding the unit for work done is essential for performing calculations involving energy, motion, and various mechanical systems.
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