Why Is the Total Work Done by the Universe on You Zero?

AI Thread Summary
The total work done on an individual by all forces in the universe is zero because work is defined as the product of force and displacement, and no displacement occurs without movement. Prior to waking, an individual is not being moved by external forces, making the concept of "work done by the universe" scientifically inaccurate. Most forces acting on a person, such as gravity or muscle contractions, do not lead to net displacement, resulting in no work being done. Therefore, even considering all potential forces, the total work remains zero. This understanding emphasizes the distinction between forces and the actual work they produce.
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What was the total work done on you by all the forces in the universe between the time just before you awoke this morning and right now?


Why is this zero?
 
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Because, just before I awoke, I wasn't being moved by any forces. While one might argue that there are many different forces acting on me, a force only does work if it moves a mass: work= force*distance moved.
 


The concept of "work" in physics is defined as the product of a force acting on an object and the displacement of that object in the direction of the force. In this context, the phrase "work done by the universe" is not a scientifically accurate statement. The universe is not a force that can act on an individual in a specific direction to cause displacement. Therefore, the concept of work does not apply to the universe as a whole.

Furthermore, even if we were to consider all the forces that may have acted on an individual between the time they woke up and the present moment, the total work done would most likely be zero. This is because most of the forces acting on a person are internal, such as the force of gravity or the force of muscles contracting to move the body. These forces do not result in any net displacement of the person, and therefore no work is done.

In summary, the idea of the universe doing work on an individual is not scientifically sound, and the total work done by all forces in the universe on an individual would most likely be zero.
 
Thread 'Variable mass system : water sprayed into a moving container'

Thread 'Variable mass system : water sprayed into a moving container'

Starting with the mass considerations #m(t)# is mass of water #M_{c}# mass of container and #M(t)# mass of total system $$M(t) = M_{C} + m(t)$$ $$\Rightarrow \frac{dM(t)}{dt} = \frac{dm(t)}{dt}$$ $$P_i = Mv + u \, dm$$ $$P_f = (M + dm)(v + dv)$$ $$\Delta P = M \, dv + (v - u) \, dm$$ $$F = \frac{dP}{dt} = M \frac{dv}{dt} + (v - u) \frac{dm}{dt}$$ $$F = u \frac{dm}{dt} = \rho A u^2$$ from conservation of momentum , the cannon recoils with the same force which it applies. $$\quad \frac{dm}{dt}...
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