Finding Work Done, Acceleration, Force and Time

In summary: Thanks for your help!In summary, the conversation discussed calculating the work done, force produced, and time taken to accelerate an object from 15m/s to 25m/s over a distance of 8m. The values used were 2kg for mass, 15m/s for initial velocity, and 25m/s for final velocity. Using the equations of motion, the work done was calculated to be 400J, the force produced was 50N, and the time taken was 0.4s. These values were then checked using the impulse-momentum theorem and the definition of work.
  • #1
FaraDazed
347
2

Homework Statement


An object with a mass of 2kg gets accelerated from 15m/s to 25m/s.

A: What is the work done in effecting this velocity change?
B: The distance moved was 8m, what force produced the acceleration?
C: How long did it take to produce the acceleration (presumed uniform)?

Homework Equations


Equations of Motion

The Attempt at a Solution


Part A:
[tex]
W=\frac{1}{2}m(v^2 - u^2) \\
W=\frac{1}{2}2(25^2 - 15^2) \\
W= 25^2 - 15^2 = 400J
[/tex]

Part B:
[tex]
v^2=u^2+2as \\
∴ a = \frac{v^2 - u^2}{2s} \\
F=ma \\
F=2 \times \frac{25^2 - 15^2}{2 \times 8} \\
F=2 \times \frac{400}{16} \\
F=2 \times 25 = 50N
[/tex]

Part C
[tex]
v=u+at \\
∴ t = \frac{v-u}{a} \\
t= \frac{25-15}{25} = 0.4s
[/tex]

My biggest problem is the values, they just don't seem right to me, 0.4s to accelerate a 2kg mass from 15 to 25m/s using 50N over 8m?

Any help appreciated :).
 
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  • #2
look at the definition of work, for part b.
 
  • #3
For part (c), you can use the impulse-momentum theorem to check your answer
 
  • #4
Clever_name said:
look at the definition of work, for part b.

I keep reading it but can't seem to find another way of interpreting it. Surely it means what force produced the acceleration (which is 25m/s^2 from my calculations) and then that comes out to be 50N right?

Any little hint at just interpreting it would be appreciated :) .
 
  • #5
ap123 said:
For part (c), you can use the impulse-momentum theorem to check your answer

Are right, is that that the impulse is equal to the change in momentum?

that would be then
[tex]
I=Ft \\
I=50 \times 0.4 = 20Ns \\

Δp=mv-mu \\
Δp=2 \times 25 - 2 \times 15 = 50-30 = 20Ns
[/tex]

Does that mean it is correct?
 
  • #6
FaraDazed said:
Are right, is that that the impulse is equal to the change in momentum?

that would be then
[tex]
I=Ft \\
I=50 \times 0.4 = 20Ns \\

Δp=mv-mu \\
Δp=2 \times 25 - 2 \times 15 = 50-30 = 20Ns
[/tex]

Does that mean it is correct?

It looks right :)
It's always useful if you can find another way of doing a problem to check your answers.

For part (b) you can do a similar answer check by using the definition of work (as mentioned by Clever_name).
 
  • #7
ap123 said:
For part (b) you can do a similar answer check by using the definition of work (as mentioned by Clever_name).

Ah right, I see now! force times distance, I thought clever_name meant for me to double check what the question was asking lol.
 

1. What is work done?

Work done is the product of force and displacement in the direction of the force. In other words, it is the amount of energy transferred when an object is moved by a force.

2. How is work done calculated?

Work done is calculated by multiplying the magnitude of the force applied to an object by the distance the object moves in the direction of the force. The formula for work done is W = Fd, where W is work, F is force, and d is distance.

3. What is acceleration?

Acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity with respect to time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. An object can accelerate by changing its speed, direction, or both.

4. What is the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration?

According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. This means that the greater the force applied to an object, the greater its acceleration will be. Similarly, the greater the mass of an object, the smaller its acceleration will be for the same force applied.

5. How do you calculate force?

Force is calculated by dividing an object's mass by its acceleration. The formula for force is F = ma, where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration. Force is measured in units of Newtons (N).

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