Work Done by Person Carrying Groceries Up a Staircase

[Mr Davis 97]

Homework Statement

A spiral staircase in a building is in the shape of a helix of radius 5 meters. Between two floors of the building, the stairs make one full revolution and climb by 4 meters. A person carries a bag of grocers up two floors. The combined mass of the persona and groceries is 70 kg and the gravitational force is 70g downward. Calculate the amount of work done by the person against gravity

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

Is the answer just -mgh = -560g ? Don't we only have to take into account the vertical distance traveled, and the information about the spiral is irrelevant?

 

[Mark44]

Homework Statement

A spiral staircase in a building is in the shape of a helix of radius 5 meters. Between two floors of the building, the stairs make one full revolution and climb by 4 meters. A person carries a bag of grocers up two floors. The combined mass of the persona and groceries is 70 kg and the gravitational force is 70g downward. Calculate the amount of work done by the person against gravity

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

Is the answer just -mgh = -560g ? Don't we only have to take into account the vertical distance traveled, and the information about the spiral is irrelevant?

I think you have the right idea, but wouldn't it be 280 g (in nt-m)? The helical stairway doesn't enter into the calculation -- just the change in vertical position.

 

[Mr Davis 97]

I think you have the right idea, but wouldn't it be 280 g (in nt-m)? The helical stairway doesn't enter into the calculation -- just the change in vertical position.

Yeah, I think you're right. Also, why would it positive as opposed to negative?

 

[Mark44]

Yeah, I think you're right. Also, why would it positive as opposed to negative?

He's applying a force in the opposite direction of the gravitational force. In any case, it seems unusual that the work done would be a negative quantity, but then it's been a long time since I took physics.