Types of Work Done
On the basis of the angle between the force and the displacement work done can be categorized into three types,
- Positive Work
- Negative Work
- Zero Work
Positive Work
When a force moves an item in a the direction of force, the work done is considered positive. The motion of a ball falling towards the earth, with the displacement of the ball in the direction of gravity, is an example of this sort of labour.
When force is applied to an item at an angle 0 ≤ θ < 90°, it is said to be positive work done.
Negative Work
When force and displacement are in opposite directions, it is considered that the work is negative. For example, if a ball is thrown upwards, the displacement will be upwards; nevertheless, the force due to gravity will be downwards.
When force is applied to an item at an angle of 90° ≤ θ ≤ 180°, it is said to be negative work done.
Zero Work Done
The total work done by the force on the item is 0 in the following two cases
Case 1: If the displacement caused by the force is zero. For example, if you push a wall the displacement of wall is zero hence work done is zero
Case 2: If the direction of the force and the displacement are perpendicular to each other. For example if you carry a load on your head and walk straight then the force applied by you in carrying the load is upward and your direction of movement is forward then the angle between force and displacement here is zero.
Work Done
Work is said to be done when a force (push or pull) applied to an object causes a displacement of the object. In our daily life, we do work and get tired. Even if we are doing our work while sitting on a chair, we say we have done a lot of work and got tired. But this is not the work done as per the definitions of physics.
In this article, we will learn the definition of work in terms of physics and the factors on which work depends.
Table of Content
- Work Done in Physics
- Work Done by a Constant Force
- Formula for Work Done
- Unit of Work
- Factors Affecting Work
- Types of Work Done
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