Mechanical Work

See the calculation of work done moving an object. Work is equal to the force exerted on an object in the direction of motion (Subscript[F, x]) times the displacement d. The force (Subscript[F, x]) is the projection on the x axis of a force F that makes an angle θ with the object. No work is performed if the displacement is zero, even when there is a force. Remember that the unit for work is the joule (J), equivalent to a newton-meter.

THINGS TO TRY

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DETAILS

The general definition of work is given by the line integral

(Subscript[W, C])=(∫_C) F·ds,

where C is the path and s the displacement vector.

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Contributed by: Enrique Zeleny

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