Question bank: Work: Graphics

A 2 kg block is initially at rest on a horizontal surface and, starting from rest, is subjected to a constant force F acting horizontally. The force F is represented by the graph F x d, where F is the force intensity in newtons and d is the distance traveled by the block in meters. The graph shows a triangular region where the force increases linearly with distance, ranging from 0 to 10 N over a displacement of 2 m. Then, the force remains constant at 10 N over a displacement of 4 m. Based on this scenario, answer: (1) What is the total work done by force F on the block during a 6 m displacement? (2) If half of the total displacement were doubled and the force doubled from where it was constant, how would this affect the total work done?

A block of mass 2 kg is moved on a smooth horizontal surface by a constant force of 10 N, over a distance of 5 meters. Using a graph of force applied by the displacement of the block, identify and explain which area represents the work done by the applied force on the block. Consider that the block starts from rest and there are no other forces acting on it during the displacement.

Consider a truck weighing 10,000 kg moving in a straight line with constant speed on a frictionless horizontal surface. To accelerate the truck from an initial speed of 10 m/s to a speed of 20 m/s over a distance of 100 m, a driver applies a constant horizontal force to the truck. Knowing that the graph of the force applied by the driver as a function of displacement is a straight line inclined at an angle of 30° with respect to the displacement axis (x-axis), determine the work done by the driver to make the mentioned displacement.

A toy car is pulled by a child on a flat and horizontal surface, applying a constant force of 10 N in a direction parallel to the displacement. The following graph represents the distance traveled by the car over time (D x t). Based on the data provided, answer:

During an interdisciplinary class on energy transformation, 1st-year high school students were challenged to calculate the mechanical work done by a force in a specific situation. The proposed situation involves a teacher lifting a 10 kg box, applying a constant vertical force on it, over a vertical linear displacement of 2.0 m. The graph of the force applied by the teacher as a function of height during the lifting is presented to the students. The goal is for the students to use the concept of mechanical work and the idea that the area in a force vs. displacement graph is numerically equal to the work done by the force to determine the value of the work done by the teacher when lifting the box.