WORK,ENERGY AND POWER

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1. Why do all living beings need food?

Ans: All Living beings need food for energy to perform several basic activities to
survive .Besides, we also
perform other activities like playing,singing,reading etc.
2. Define the term work done. Give example.
Ans: Work is said to be done by a force on a body or an object if the force applied
causes a displacement
in the body or the object.
Example:
Work is done, when a box is dragged on the floor from one position to
another.
Work is done, when a box is lifted from the ground to some height.
3. What are the two conditions essential for work to be done?
Ans: The two conditions essential for work to be done are as follows:
(i) A force should act on an object
(ii) The object i.e. point of application of the force must be displaced.
4. Express mathematically work done by a constant force.
Ans: Let a constant force F act on an object and the object be displaced through a
distances along the direction of the force. If W is assumed to be work done by the
force on the object, then from

W =F s
5. What is the SI unit of work done?
Ans: Nm or Joule (j)
6. What will be the work done when the force F on the object is zero?
Ans:

W =F s=0( F=0)

7. What will be the work done when the displacement of the object is
zero?
Ans

W =F s=0( s=0)

8. How much work is done by a man who tries to push the wall of a house
but fails to do so ?
Ans:

W =F s=0( s=0)

9. What is the work done by the earth in moving around the sun?
Prepared by : Ph. Gokul Sharma
M.Sc ( Physics ), B.Ed

10.

What is the SI unit of Work?

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Ans: Zero

WORK,ENERGY AND POWER

Ans: Joule (J)

11.
What is the work done by the force of gravity on a satellite moving
round the earth? Justify your answer.
Ans: The force of gravity acting on a satellite moves the satellite in a circular path.
Since, the force of gravity acts at right angle to the displacement of the satellite, so
work done is zero.
12. Is work done if body rotates in circular path?
OR, is it possible that a force acts on a body still the work done is zero?
Explain with an example.
Ans: when object in circular path, force acting on a body is always towards the centre
of circular path. Since object does not displace towards the centre of circular path. So, no work is
done.
13.
Distinguish between positive work and negative work.
Ans: Work is said to be positive if the body is displaced in the direction of the
applied force. Whereas work is said to be negative if the body is displaced in a
direction opposite to the direction of applied force.
14.
When we lift an object, two forces act on it . Identify these forces.
Which one of the two does ,(a) positive work (ii) negative work .
Ans: When we lift an object, the forces acting on the object are (i) force of gravity
and (ii) muscular force . Force of gravity does negative work as force of gravity acts
downloads and the object is displaced upwards. Muscular force does positive work
as the object is displaced in the direction of the applied muscular force.
15.

When is an object said to possess energy?

Ans: An object having a capability to do work is said to possess energy.

16.

How does an object with energy do work?

Ans: An object that possesses energy can exert a force on another object.

17.Define energy. Write the kinds of energy?

Ans: Energy is the capacity of a body to do the work.
Kinds of energy: Mechanical energy, Chemical energy, heat energy, Electrical Energy, nuclear
energy, sound energy , Light energy etc.

18. What are the kinds of mechanical energy?

Prepared by : Ph. Gokul Sharma
M.Sc ( Physics ), B.Ed

WORK,ENERGY AND POWER

Ans: There are two types of mechanical energy

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(a) Energy possessed by an object due to its motion is called kinetic

energy. Example -Kinetic energy of a hammer is used to drive a nail into the
wall. Bullet fired from a gun can penetrate into a target due to its kinetic
energy

(b) The energy possessed by a body by virtue of its position or due to state
of strain, is called potential energy.
Example: The work done to lift a body above the ground level gives the
potential energy of the body. Eg. Weight lifting.
Water stored in reservoir has large amount of potential energy due to which
it can drive a water turbine when allowed to fall down. This is the principle
of production of hydro electric energy.
19. what kind of energy posses by the following
(a) Flowing water
(b) Water stored in dam
Ans: (a) KE

(b) PE

20.
Can any object
momentum is zero?

(c) Wrist watch

(c) PE

have

mechanical

energy

even

if

its

Ans: Yes, mechanical energy comprises of both potential energy and kinetic
energy. Zero momentum means that velocity is zero. Hence, there it no
kinetic energy but the object may possess potential energy.
21.

bus and a car having same kinetic energy, which one of the two is moving,

fast?
Ans: Car as its mass is less than that of bus.

22.

A ball is thrown vertically upward and its velocity keeps on changing. What
happen to the KE when its velocity will be zero?

Ans: Since velocity is zero kinetic energy will be zero.

23.

Can kinetic energy of a body be negative?

Ans: No, It is because mass and velocity cannot ne negative

24. A freely falling object eventually stops on reaching the ground. What
happens to its kinetic energy?
Ans: A freely falling object just before hitting the ground has
maximum kinetic energy. After falling, it rolls on the rough ground and finally
Prepared by : Ph. Gokul Sharma
M.Sc ( Physics ), B.Ed

WORK,ENERGY AND POWER

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comes to rest. The kinetic energy of the object is used up in doing work
against friction; which finally appears as heat energy.
25. Give two examples where a body possesses both, kinetic energy as well as potential
energy.
Ans: (i) flying areoplane has both K.E and P.E.
26. What is kinetic energy ?

(ii) A flying bird has both the energies

Ans: The energy possessed by an object due to its motion is called kinetic
energy.
27.
What is gravitational potential energy?
Ans: Gravitational potential energy is defined as the work done by the agent
on the object in raising it against the gravity of the earth.
28. Derive the expression for Kinetic energy of a body .
Ans: Let us consider an object of mass m moving with a uniform velocity u.Let it
now be displaced through a distance s when a constant force F act on it in the
direction of displacement.
Work done ,

W =F s .(i)

Let a be the acceleration produced in changing the velocity from u to v.

v 2u 2=2 as
s=

v 2 u2
.. (ii )
2a

Also Force, F=ma ( iii )

( i ) , ( ii )(iii) , weget

W =ma

v2 u2
2a

1
m ( v 2u2 ) .. ( iv )
2
If the object were starting from stationary position i.e
1
W = mv 2 . ( v )
2

u=0

then

Thus , kinetic energy possessed by a body of mass m moving with a

1
Ek = mv 2
uniform velocity v at any instant of time is
2
29. Derive the expression for potential energy of a body above the ground level.
Ans: Consider an object of mass m. It is raised through a height h meter from the
ground.By applying force F, The object gains energy to do the work done (w) on it.
Work done = force x displacement

Prepared by : Ph. Gokul Sharma

M.Sc ( Physics ), B.Ed

WORK,ENERGY AND POWER

Thus , potential of a body is Ep = m g h

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W=Fxh
(Since F= ma , a = g => F = mg)
W=mgh

30. The potential energy of a freely falling object decreases progressively.Does this
violate the law of conservation of energy ? Why ?
Ans: No, As the potential energy of a freely falling object decreases, the object acquires more and
more speed. So, the kinetic energy of the object increases at the cost of its potential energy
.However, total energy of the object remains the same at every point .

31. What kind of energy transformation takes place when a body is

dropped from a certain height?
Ans: When a body falls, its potential energy gradually gets converted into
kinetic energy. On
reaching the ground, the whole of the potential
energy of the body gets converted into kinetic energy.
32.

State and verify law of the conservation of energy?

Ans: LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but it is

transformed from one form to another. Alternatively, whenever
energy gets transformed, the total energy remains unchanged.
Proof Freely falling body
Consider a body of mass m falls from a point A, which is at a height h
from the ground as shown in fig.
At A,
Kinetic energy Ek = 0
and
Potential energy Ep = mgh
Total energy E = Ep + Ek
= mgh + 0 = mgh
During the fall, the body is at a position B. The body has moved a
distance x from A.
At B,
Velocity v2 = u2 + 2as
Applying, v2 = 0 + 2ax = 2ax
Ek = 1/2 mv2 =1/2 m x 2gx = mgx
Potential energy E p = mg (h x)
Total energy E = Ep + Ek
= mg (h-x) + mgx
= mgh mgx + mgx
E = mgh
Prepared by : Ph. Gokul Sharma
M.Sc ( Physics ), B.Ed

WORK,ENERGY AND POWER

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If the body reaches the position C.

At C,
Potential energy E p = 0
Velocity of the body C is
v2 = u2 + 2as
u = 0, a = g, s = h
Applying v2 = 0 + 2gh = 2gh
Kinetic energy Ek = 1/2 mv2 = 1/2x m x 2gh
mgh

Ek =

Total energy at C
E=Ep+Ek
E=0+mgh
E=mgh
Thus sum of potential and kinetic energy of freely falling body at all
points remains same.

33.
Ans:
34.
Ans:

35.

What is power?
Power is the rate of doing work
How do you differentiate kilowatt from kilowatt hour?
Kilowatt is the unit of power and kilowatt hour is the unit of energy.

Define 1 Watt of power .

Ans: Power is said to be 1 watt if it does 1 joule of work in 1 second.

36.
Define average power.
Ans: Average power is defined as the ratio of total work done by an agent to
the total time taken.
37.
Name the commercial unit of electric energy.
Ans: The commercial unit of electric energy is kilowatt (kWh).
38.
How many joules make one kilowatt hour?
Ans: 1kWh=3.6 x 106 J.
39.
A boy and a girl do the same work in 5 minutes and 10 minutes
respectively. Which of these two has more power and why ?
Ans: As the boy takes less time to do the same work as compared to the
girl, so power of the boy will be more than that of the girl.
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
Q8
(a) Work is done ( reaction of water on Kamala during swimming displaces
Suma in the forward direction).
Prepared by : Ph. Gokul Sharma
M.Sc ( Physics ), B.Ed

WORK,ENERGY AND POWER

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(b)No work is done ( Force of gravity acting on the load is at right angle
to the displacement of the load)
(c) No work is done ( The rock does not displace when force is applied on
it.
(d)No work is done ( Force of gravity acting on the load is at right angle
to the displacement of the load)

Prepared by : Ph. Gokul Sharma

M.Sc ( Physics ), B.Ed