Understanding Work and Energy Transfer in Everyday Examples

[Peter G.]

I have a hard time understanding this concept:

Work done is an energy transfer, for example: When I raise a book to a tall shelf, I am doing work against gravity. Energy is being transferred from Chemical Energy in my muscles to gravitational potential energy to the book. Right?

In addition to that, imagine there is a massive button I want to press: I will be doing work. I will be transferring chemical energy to potential energy. But if I climb up a cliff and gain a lot of gravitational potential and jump on top of that button, it will be much easier to press it than with my finger. So, this means I transferred my kinetic energy from the jump to potential energy in the button? And if I wanted to calculate the force I exerted I could: Let's say I had 1000J of energy and the button moved 10 M, I exerted a force of 100N?

Hope it is clear,
Thanks in advance,
Peter

 

[rock.freak667]

I have a hard time understanding this concept:

Work done is an energy transfer, for example: When I raise a book to a tall shelf, I am doing work against gravity. Energy is being transferred from Chemical Energy in my muscles to gravitational potential energy to the book. Right?

This is correct.

In addition to that, imagine there is a massive button I want to press: I will be doing work. I will be transferring chemical energy to potential energy. But if I climb up a cliff and gain a lot of gravitational potential and jump on top of that button, it will be much easier to press it than with my finger. So, this means I transferred my kinetic energy from the jump to potential energy in the button? And if I wanted to calculate the force I exerted I could: Let's say I had 1000J of energy and the button moved 10 M, I exerted a force of 100N?

This is correct as well as work done = force*distance.

 

[Peter G.]

Thanks a lot Rockfreak!