Work Exchange: Object 1 Pushes Object 2 - 15 J Work

[student 1]

Homework Statement

Object one pushes on object 2 as the objects move together, like a bulldozer pushing a stone. Assume object 1 does 15 J of work on object 2. Does Object 2 do work of object 1? If possible determine how much work?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I was thinking it would do work on object 1, could someone just point me in the right direction on how to start this. I'm not real sure where to begin. I was thinking it might be negative work that the 2nd object does on number 1.?

 

[rock.freak667]

What is needed for an object to do work?

 

[student 1]

Force and distance moved?

 

[rock.freak667]

Force and distance moved?

What is the force that object 2 exerts on object 1?

 

[ajhunte]

I am pretty sure that the answer is 15J.

Lets try it with numbers (although they don't really matter.) Let's say the bulldozer applies 5 Newtons for 3 Meters (3*5=15). This means that if the rock was not present, it would take 15 Joules less to move those 3 Meters. You can think of this -15J as the work that the boulder does on the bulldoser. It is the extra energy that the bulldozer has to do for those 3 meters (or any distance for what it matters).

 

[rock.freak667]

Basically it was just to apply Newton's third law.

 

[student 1]

Thanks a bunch!