WORK, ENERGY, AND ITS TRANSFORMATION

WORK, ENERGY, AND POWER

At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. calculate work by a constant force on an object over a displacement​ (C11.A.1)
2. describe the relationship of work, energy, and power. ​(C11.A.2)

Time Allotted: 1 minute Actual Time: __________

The motion of an object was analyzed in the previous quarter using Newton’s Laws of
Motion. In this quarter, we will analyze the motion of an object using the concepts of work,
power, and energy.

Activity 1.

Let’s take a look at the illustrations below. Who do you think is doing more work?

A. a man pushing a wall B. a man pushing an empty cart

If your answer is B, a man pushing an empty cart, you are definitely correct! If we examine
the given situations, even if the man in ​situation A is exerting more force in pushing
against the wall compared to the man in ​situation B (who is exerting 75% less force in
pushing an empty cart forward), man B is doing MORE work than man A! Confused? Then
turn to the next page for a discussion of how the concept of work is defined in Physics.

Time Allotted: 3 minutes Actual Time: __________

​Learning Guide 13.1 | ​page 1 of 8

​WORK

In Physics, the amount of force you exert is ​not the sole factor to determine whether or not
work was done. It is more important to determine whether the force exerted was able to
displace or move the body you’re applying the force on to. Even though Man A exerted
more force in pushing the wall than Man B who is pushing an empty cart, all that force
Man A applied on the wall was not able to budge the wall by even an inch. With this, we
surmise that work can be defined in terms of ​applied force AND the ​displacement that it
creates. There are three conditions that must be met for work to be done:
1. There must be a force acting on the object.
2. The object must be displaced.
3. The direction of the displacement must be the same with the direction of
the force acting upon the object.

Using this knowledge, try to answer the activity below.

Activity 2.

Study the following situations enumerated below. Put a check mark before the item
if work is done to an object or person.
____ 1. a box being lifted from the ground
____ 2. a student walking up the stairs
____ 3. a waiter carrying a loaded tray in his steady arm across a room at
constant speed
____ 4. a book falls off a table and free falls to the ground
____ 5. a girl whirling a small toy tied at the end of a string above her head

If you put a check mark before items 1, 2, and 4, you are definitely catching on. These
three situations met all three conditions for work to be done. The work is done on the box
since there is applied force and displacement, where force is parallel to the displacement,
as the box being lifted from the ground satisfying conditions 1, 2, and 3. There is no work
done by the waiter as he carries the loaded tray since the force applied is not parallel to
the displacement. Also,there is no work done by the girl on the small toy since as the small
toy is being whirled, the centripetal force acting on it is perpendicular with its
displacement. Before you proceed, try to ponder why work is done on items 2 and 4.

As stated above, work can be defined in terms of applied force and its displacement. In
​ one on an object by an applied force is defined as the ​product of the
detail, the ​work W d
force and the displacement through which the force acts (Padua and Crisostomo, 2003).
In equation form:
W = F ⋅d

where ​W​ ​is for work, ​F ​is the force parallel to the displacement and ​d​ is the displacement.

The force exerted on the object is measured in ​newtons (N)​. The displacement is
measured in ​meters (m)​. Therefore, the amount of work is measured in newtons-meters.
(N ⋅ m) or simply ​joule (J)​, named after James Prescott Joule, who has great contributions

​Learning Guide 13.1 | ​page 2 of 8

on understanding the concepts of work and energy. Work can also be measured in other
units as shown in the table below.

​Table 1. ​The units of work in different systems of measurement

Work is a scalar quantity ​since it is a dot product of two vectors. Although work is a
scalar quantity, it can be ​positive​, negative​, or ​zero​. It is positive when the component of
the force is in the same direction as the displacement like a box being lifted from the
ground. The direction of the force applied on the box, which is upward direction is the
same with the direction of the displacement. It is negative when the component of the
force is in the opposite direction as the displacement like a sliding book on a table top
moving to the right. The frictional force is opposite to the direction of the sliding book. It is
zero when the force is perpendicular to the displacement as described in activity number 2
items 3 and 5. Remember, the positive and negative sign does not refer to the direction of
the work.

Let’s try to apply your understanding about the concept of work in the following sample
problems. Take note: Always follow significant figure rules and express all relevant
values in the correct SI unit.​

Sample Problem 1

A rightward force of 250 N applied to a ​balikbayan​ box with a mass of 65 kg. The box is
displaced at 7.0 m with a constant speed in the direction of the force. How much work
is done on the box?

Given Formula Solution and Answer

F = 250 N W = (250 N ) (7.0 m)
W = F ⋅d
d = 7.0 m W = 1800 J

​Learning Guide 13.1 | ​page 3 of 8

Sample Problem 2

How much work is needed to lift a 110 kg object to a height of 5.50 m?

Given Formula Solution and Answer

m = 110 kg W = F ⋅d W = (110 kg)(9.8 m/s2 )(5.50 m)
d = 5.50 m Remember that force will be W = 5 900 J
equal to weight, where
w = mg . Then, you will get
W = mgd

Sample Problem 3

How much force is applied on the engines of a truck to move it 2.0 km along a level
road if 5.0 x 106 J of work is used?

Given Formula Solution and Answer

W = 5.0 x 106 J W = F ⋅d F = 5.0 x 106 J
2.0 x 103 m
d = 2.0 km = Rearranging the variables, we have:
F = 2500 N or 2.5 x 103 N
2.0 x 103 m F = Wd

POWER
Based on the definition of work, it does not matter how long it takes to do the work. You
will do the same amount of work whether you walk up the stairs or run up the stairs. But
why do you think you are more tired after running up the stairs than of walking up the
stairs? To answer this question, you must need to understand the rate of doing work,
which is termed as ​power (P)​. In equation form:

P = work done
time

You spend more power in running up the stairs since you used a larger amount of work in
a short time so you get more tired. Similarly, some machines are more powerful than
others since they can perform work faster. Remember that power and time are inversely
proportional.

Power is also a scalar quantity. Its unit is joule per second (J/s) or simply ​watt (W)​. (In
honor of James Watt, the developer of the steam engine).The table below contains units
of power in different systems of measurement.

​Learning Guide 13.1 | ​page 4 of 8

Table 2.​ The units of power in different systems of measurement.

Let’s try to apply your understanding about the concept of power in the following sample
problem. Take note: ​Always follow significant figure rules and express all relevant
values in the correct SI unit.

Sample Problem 4

a) How much power will a 460 N student develop if he/she climbs a flight of stairs 15 m
from the ground in 6.0 minutes? b) How many horsepower is this? (​Conversion
factor:​ 1 horsepower (hp) = 746 W)

Given Formula Solution and Answer

F = 460 N (460 N )(15 m)
a.) P = 360 s
d = 15 m W Fd
P = t
= t
P = 6900 N .m
360 s
t = 6.0 min = 360 s P = 19 J/s or 19 W

Using your answer in a),

b.) 19 W x 1 hp
746 W ​= ​0.025 hp

ENERGY
A student can climb up a staircase because he has the capability to do so. Similarly, a
machine can do some work because it has the capacity to do so. ​Energy is the physical
quantity that enables a person or an object to do work. Without it, it is impossible for a
person or object to do work. In short, energy is the ability to do work. Like work, energy
can be measured in joule (J).

Energy comes in many forms but for now let’s have the two common forms of ​mechanical
energy​, which is the energy possessed by an object due to its position or due to its
motion.

Running water has energy that is used to run water mills. Moving air has energy that
pushes the sailing boats. These objects have energy because they are moving and the
energy possessed by moving bodies is called ​kinetic energy​.

​Learning Guide 13.1 | ​page 5 of 8

Water behind a dam has energy that once the dam is open, the water will flow that can
move or carry objects. A child at the top of the slide has energy and when the child desires
he can slide. The energy in this object and person is stored energy. They can use this
energy to perform work and the energy possessed by a body due to its position or
condition is called ​potential energy​. The common types of potential energy are
gravitational and elastic potential energy. The ​gravitational potential energy is potential
energy due to elevated positions and the ​elastic potential energy is potential energy that
depends on the amount of stretch of the material. A rock gains gravitational potential
energy when you lift it from the ground and a bow string gains elastic potential energy
when you draw the bow.

Remember that ​when one does work, energy is transferred and when energy is transferred,
work is done. For example, the water behind a dam has potential energy and that potential
energy will be converted to kinetic energy as the dam opens and the kinetic energy of running
water does the work for the water mills to run.This concept is known as work-energy principle
that will be further discussed in the next learning guide.

Time Allotted: 20 minutes Actual Time: __________

Activity 3.

Answer the following concisely.

1. If a man pulls a crate at a certain velocity, will he increase the work done if
he pulls it faster but using the same force? Why or why not?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

2. In a weightlifting class, Student A lifted a 40-kg barbell over his/her head for
15 times in 1 minute and Student B lifted the same barbell over his/her
head for 15 times in 30 seconds. Who used up more power? Why?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

​ llotted:​ 6 min
Time A Actual Time: __________

​Learning Guide 13.1 | ​page 6 of 8

In Summary
The motion of the object can be analyzed using the concept of work, power, and energy.
Work is done when these conditions are met a) there must be force acting on the object,
b) the object must have displacement, and c) the direction of the displacement must be
the same with the component of the force applied on the object. Power is the amount of
work done per time it takes to do it. Energy is the capacity to do work. Kinetic energy is
energy possessed by moving bodies and potential energy is a stored energy.

GRADED FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

I. Write TRUE if the statement is true, and FALSE if otherwise.

Use the situation below for items 1-2

In a fun run, the winner and runner-up have the same mass.
______​1. The winner did more work than the runner-up.
______​2. The winner used up more power than the runner-up.
______​3. Work is done on a person in an ascending elevator.
______​4. A bicycle in motion possessed elastic potential energy.
______​5. Power is directly proportional with the time.

II. Answer the following problems. Show your solutions.

6. A 15.0 kg book box is being lifted from the floor to the table top 0.80 m high. How
much work is done on the book box?

Given Formula Solution and Answer

7. A 270 kg baby grand piano is to be lifted to a fourth-story window 12. 2 m above the
ground by a 1650 W motor. How long would it take to lift the baby grand piano?

Given Formula Solution and Answer

Time Allotted: 10 minutes Actual Time: __________

​Learning Guide 13.1 | ​page 7 of 8

Abecilla, N.L., Peleo-Alampay, A.M., Badilla, D.B., Cerna, R.I, Leonor, J.P., and Olipane,
R.P. (2014). Conceptual Science and Beyond 8. Quezon City: Brilliant Creations
Publishing, Inc.
Cruz, C.U. (2008). Contemporary Physics. (2nd edition). Marikina City: Instructional
Coverage System Publishing, Inc.
Herderson, T. (n.d.). Work, Energy, and Power - Lesson 1 - Basic Terminology and
Concepts: Power. The Physics Classroom.
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/energy/Lesson-1/Power
Hewitt, P.G. (2015). Conceptual Physics (12th edition). Essex, England: Pearson Education
Limited
Padua, A. L., Ramos, H. J., and Rabago, L. M. (2003). Practical and Explorational Physics
Modular Approach. Quezon City: Vibal Publishing House, Inc.

​Learning Guide 13.1 | ​page 8 of 8