Why is the Work Zero on a Frictionless Surface?

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In summary, on a frictionless surface, an object will continue to move at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, the force and work would be zero since there is no change in the object's velocity.
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Aaryan34532
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Homework Statement


Is the work zero here because its a frictionless surface? If, so why? If not then what's the reason a
Screen Shot 2018-12-01 at 10.26.05.png
nd why?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


I was originally thinking 1/2mv^2 .. but KE is zero right, but having it be mgh didn't make sense..
 

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Aaryan34532 said:

Homework Statement


Is the work zero here because its a frictionless surface? If, so why? If not then what's the reason aView attachment 234973nd why?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


I was originally thinking 1/2mv^2 .. but KE is zero right, but having it be mgh didn't make sense..
Newton’s first law said that without an external force input,an object will either stay still or move at a constant velocity forever.
 
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  • #3
Aaryan34532 said:
I was originally thinking 1/2mv^2
Why?
.. but KE is zero right
Is it?
but having it be mgh didn't make sense..
Why not?

It seems like you don't have a clear understanding of what's being asked since you don't know exactly what work is. What is work? What is kinetic energy? How are they related?
 
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It might help if you put down some relevant equations. What are the equations for work, velocity, acceleration, and force? These are all related and are relevant to this problem. Try to use equations that show the relationships between them.
 
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  • #5
Work isn’t the same concept as “force”.

If you push on a wall as hard as you can but the wall doesn’t move at all,you do zero work.
 
  • #6
@Young physicist Okay, so work is the transfer of energy due to force given in the equation W = F x D

Obvciously yes if you apply force on a wall and let's say you're on rollerskates and you move backwards that DOES NOT mean you did work as let's say you applied 5N OF of force on the wall, but the point of application didnt move at all so it would be W = 5N x 0m = 0J so no work is done..

I hope my conceptual understanding is correct here.. As for my original question since it is already moving at a constant speed and not accelerating since it will be continuing to move WITHOUT EXTERNAL FORCES then then obviously force is 0 and thus work is 0.
 
  • #7
Aaryan34532 said:
I hope my conceptual understanding is correct here.. As for my original question since it is already moving at a constant speed and not accelerating since it will be continuing to move WITHOUT EXTERNAL FORCES then then obviously force is 0 and thus work is 0.
Correct.
 

1. Why is the work zero in this situation?

In physics, work is defined as the product of force and displacement. If there is no displacement, then the work done is zero. This means that the applied force is either zero or perpendicular to the direction of displacement, resulting in no work done.

2. What does it mean when work is zero?

When work is zero, it means that there is no transfer of energy from one form to another. In other words, no energy is being added or subtracted from the system. This could be due to the lack of motion or the absence of an external force.

3. Can work be zero even when there is movement?

Yes, it is possible for work to be zero even when there is movement. This can happen when the applied force is equal and opposite to the frictional force, resulting in no net work being done. In this case, the object may still be moving at a constant velocity, but the work done is zero.

4. Is zero work always a bad thing?

No, zero work is not always a bad thing. In some cases, zero work can be desirable, such as in magnetic levitation or when trying to maintain a constant speed. However, in other situations, zero work may indicate that the system is not functioning as intended or that there is a lack of efficiency.

5. How can work be calculated if it is zero?

If the work done is zero, it means that the applied force is perpendicular to the displacement. In this case, the work can be calculated using the formula W = Fdcosθ, where θ is the angle between the force and displacement vectors. Since cos90° = 0, this results in zero work. Alternatively, if the work done is zero, it can also be stated that the net force acting on the object is zero, and therefore, the work can be calculated using the formula W = ΔK = 0.

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