Force, mass, acceleration, kinetic energy

In summary, the conversation discusses a mathematical problem involving mass, force, and kinetic energy. The first scenario involves a 1kg mass on wheels accelerating with a constant force of 10N for 1 second, resulting in a velocity of 10m/s and kinetic energy of 50 Joule. The second scenario involves a 10kg mass on wheels also with a constant force of 10N for 1 second, but the kinetic energy is only 5 Joule. It is explained that this discrepancy is due to the difference between work (force times distance) and force times time. The conversation ends with a realization and thanks for clarifying the concept.
  • #1
Low-Q
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Hi all,

I stumbled into a somewhat odd mathematical problem, so I guess I've overlooked an important detail.
If I have a mass of 1kg on wheels horizontally, and apply 10N of constant force so the mass is accellerating. I assume the velocity of that mass after 1 second is approx 10m/s. Then kinetic energy should be approx 50 Joule. (1/2 (m*v*v)).

Then I have a mass of 10kg on wheels horizontally, and apply 10N of force for one second. Maybe I'm dumb, but it appears to me that the kinetic energy after one second is only 5 Joule. Shouldn't it be 50 Joule?

What have I missed out?

Br. Vidar
 
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  • #2
Work is force times distance, not force times time. The 10 kg doesn't move so far in 1 s.

Try the same thing with momentum instead of energy, and surprise yourself :rolleyes: !
 
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  • #3
BvU said:
Work is force times distance, not force times time. The 10 kg doesn't move so far in 1 s.

Try the same thing with momentum instead of energy, and surprise yourself :rolleyes: !
Yeah! Sometimes I stumble in my own brain. Thanks for clearing this up :-)
 
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What is force?

Force is a physical quantity that describes the push or pull on an object. It is measured in units of Newtons (N).

What is mass?

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object. It is a scalar quantity and is measured in units of kilograms (kg).

What is acceleration?

Acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity over time. It is a vector quantity and is measured in units of meters per second squared (m/s^2).

What is kinetic energy?

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. It is dependent on the object's mass and its velocity, and is measured in units of joules (J).

How are force, mass, acceleration, and kinetic energy related?

According to Newton's Second Law of Motion, the force acting on an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration (F=ma). This means that as an object's mass or acceleration increases, its force and kinetic energy will also increase.

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