Your relevant equations talk about potential and kinetic energy, but I think you are looking for the minimum work done by the student (not the total work done, although the problem is not worded clearly that way). Minimum work ocurs when the books are moved slowly at constant speed. What equations do you know for work done at constant speed?Ipos Manger said:Homework Statement
A student has six books, all of them with a 4cm thickness and a weight of 30N. ¿What would be the minimum work to put the books in one pile, if the six books are in a table?
Weight: 30N
Thickness: 4cm.
Gravity: 9.81ms-2
Homework Equations
Ep=mgh
Ec=(mv2)/2
The Attempt at a Solution
I found the mass of each book, which is 3.06kg, and converted the thickness to m, 0.04m.
After that, I'm lost. :S I don't know how to work it out..
Potential energy is the stored energy an object has due to its position or configuration. This energy can be released or converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy, when the object is in motion.
When you lift a book, you are increasing its potential energy by raising it to a higher position against the force of gravity. The higher the book is lifted, the more potential energy it has.
The potential energy of a lifted book is affected by its mass and the height it is lifted to. The higher the book is lifted and the heavier the book is, the more potential energy it will have.
When a lifted book is dropped, its potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as it falls towards the ground. The potential energy decreases as the book gets closer to the ground, while the kinetic energy increases.
Potential energy is useful in everyday life in various ways. For example, potential energy from food is converted into kinetic energy to power our bodies. Potential energy is also used in technologies such as hydroelectric dams, where the potential energy of water is converted into electricity.