Calculating Work Done on a Block Moving Up an Incline

In summary, the block moves up a 30° incline under the action of three forces: F1 with a magnitude of 40N, F2 with a magnitude of 20N, and F3 with a magnitude of 30N. The work done by F1 is 27.7, the work done by F2 is 8, and the work done by F3 is 24.
  • #1
myk127
10
0

Homework Statement


A block moves up a 30° incline under the action of certain forces, three of which are as follows: F1 is horizontal and magnitude 40N. F2 is normal to the plane and of magnitude 20N. F3 is parallel to the plane and of magnitude 30N. Determine the work done by each force as the block moves 80cm up the incline



Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I just need to know if I'm doing the right thing here.
WF1 = 40(cos 30)(0.8) = 27.7
WF2 = 20(sin 30)(0.8) = 8
WF3 = 30(0.8) = 24
 
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  • #2
myk127 said:

Homework Statement


A block moves up a 30° incline under the action of certain forces, three of which are as follows: F1 is horizontal and magnitude 40N. F2 is normal to the plane and of magnitude 20N. F3 is parallel to the plane and of magnitude 30N. Determine the work done by each force as the block moves 80cm up the incline

Homework Equations



The Attempt at a Solution


I just need to know if I'm doing the right thing here.
WF1 = 40(cos 30)(0.8) = 27.7
WF2 = 20(sin 30)(0.8) = 8
WF3 = 30(0.8) = 24

Welcome to PF.

The first one looks good.

The second one says the force is normal to the plane. If the force is normal to the plane of the incline then there is no work done, because there is no component in the line of motion. I will presume that you are asked about normal to the plane the incline is on. If that is downward then I think you should treat the sin30 component as negative since it is acting against the direction of motion.
 
  • #3
ah. thanks for that.
what about the F3? you don't have to multiply it to sin 30 becase it's parallel to the inclined right?
so it's like rotating the figure by 30°.
 
  • #4
myk127 said:
ah. thanks for that.
what about the F3? you don't have to multiply it to sin 30 becase it's parallel to the inclined right?
so it's like rotating the figure by 30°.

Correct. It is fully in the direction of the motion. No trig required.
 

1. What is work done by force on a block?

Work done by force on a block is the product of the force applied to the block and the distance the block moves in the direction of the force. It is a measure of the energy transferred to the block by the force.

2. How is work done by force on a block calculated?

Work done by force on a block is calculated using the equation W = F * d, where W is the work done, F is the force applied, and d is the distance the block moves in the direction of the force.

3. Can work done by force on a block be negative?

Yes, work done by force on a block can be negative if the force and the displacement of the block are in opposite directions. This indicates that the force is doing work against the motion of the block, resulting in a decrease in the block's energy.

4. What are the SI units for work done by force on a block?

The SI unit for work done by force on a block is joule (J). It can also be expressed in newton-meter (N·m), which is equivalent to a joule.

5. How does the angle between the force and the displacement affect the work done on a block?

The angle between the force and the displacement affects the work done on a block by changing the amount of work done. If the force and displacement are in the same direction, all of the force is transferred to the block and the work done is at its maximum. If the force and displacement are perpendicular, no work is done on the block. If the force and displacement are in opposite directions, the work done is negative.

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