Work Done by Friction Force: A 4.0 kg Block

AI Thread Summary
A 4.0 kg block is pulled over a rough surface by a 20 N force, increasing its speed from 3.0 m/s to 5.0 m/s over 5.0 m. The initial calculations focused on the change in kinetic energy but neglected the work done by the applied force and the energy lost to friction. The correct approach requires calculating the work done by the applied force and subtracting the kinetic energy change to find the work done by friction. The misunderstanding stemmed from not accounting for the applied force's contribution to the overall energy balance. Properly considering all forces involved is essential for accurate work calculations in physics.
IKonquer
Messages
47
Reaction score
0
A 4.0 kg block is dragged over a rough horizontal surface by a constant force of 20 N. The speed of the block increases from 3.0 m/s to 5.0 m/s in a displacement of 5.0 m. What is
the magnitude of the work done by the friction force during this displacement?

My work was the following:

Ei + W = Ef

(.5)(m)(3)^2 + W = (.5)(m)(5)^2

And as a result, I got W = 50 - 18 = 32 J.

I'm not sure why this answer is wrong. Thanks in advance.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You've calculated the energy that went into raising the speed from 3 to 5 m/s. But you haven't calculated the energy that was lost to friction.

Hint: How much work did the applied force do?
 
I see. I just didn't realize that I needed to account for the applied force.

Thanks again.
 
Kindly see the attached pdf. My attempt to solve it, is in it. I'm wondering if my solution is right. My idea is this: At any point of time, the ball may be assumed to be at an incline which is at an angle of θ(kindly see both the pics in the pdf file). The value of θ will continuously change and so will the value of friction. I'm not able to figure out, why my solution is wrong, if it is wrong .
TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...
Back
Top