What is the formula to calculate work done by a force?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the correct formula to calculate work done, which involves understanding the relationship between force and distance.
Answer
W = F ⋅ d ⋅ cos(θ), where F is the force, d is the displacement, and θ is the angle between them.
The formula to calculate the work done by a force is given by W = F ⋅ d ⋅ cos(θ), where F is the force applied, d is the displacement, and θ is the angle between the force and the displacement vector.
Answer for screen readers
The formula to calculate the work done by a force is given by W = F ⋅ d ⋅ cos(θ), where F is the force applied, d is the displacement, and θ is the angle between the force and the displacement vector.
More Information
The cosine component accounts for the direction of the force relative to displacement. If the force is parallel to the displacement, cos(θ) = 1 and the formula simplifies to W = F ⋅ d.
Tips
A common mistake is forgetting to include the angle θ in the calculation, especially when the force is not parallel to the displacement.
Sources
- Calculating the Amount of Work Done by Forces - physicsclassroom.com
- How do you calculate the work done by a force? - Quora - quora.com
- What is Formula for Work? Examples - Cuemath - cuemath.com
