Work/Energy Practice Problems
1-)
Take g = 10m/s2
for Q1 only
2. A car traveling with a speed of 3.0 m/s is coasting towards an incline (see diagram). Determine how high the
car coasts up the hill on the right. Assume no friction.
3. Luke drops a 5.00 kg object from a barn. A haystack is positioned 10.0 m below the rooftop of the barn.
a. Determine the kinetic energy of object the instant before it hits the haystack.
b. Determine the speed of the object the instant before it hits the haystack.
c. Determine the speed of the object when it is 5 m above the haystack.
4. It took a rightward force of 350 N to pull a crate weighing 695 N across a level floor to the right. The work
done was 4200 J. How far was the crate moved?
Li Ping Phar, the esteemed Chinese ski jumper, starts at rest on top of a 100-meter hill, skis down the 45°
incline and makes a world-record setting jump. The heights at various locations along her path are shown
below. Use the diagram to answer questions #4-#6. Assume that friction and air resistance has a negligible
effect upon Li's motion and assume that Li never uses her poles for propulsion.
5. Li Ping Phar has a mass of 50 kg. Fill in the blanks to indicate Li Ping Phar's potential and kinetic energy at
position A, C, D, and E (the instant before striking the ground). Neglect friction, air resistance, and the effect of
ski poles.
a. Determine Li Ping Phar's speed at position D.
b. Determine Li Ping Phar's speed at position E (just prior to hitting the ground).
8. The Swiss ski jumper, Eaton Alottafude, has a mass of 80 kg. Would Eaton's greater mass create an
advantage, disadvantage, or make no difference to his success? Explain clearly.
9. An 800-kg car moving at 25.0 m/s runs out of gas just prior to ascending (climbing) a hill. Supposing that -
40000 J of work are done upon the car by air resistance (and other external forces), determine the height to
which the car will coast up the hill before stopping.
10. Near the end of a roller coaster ride , a braking system applies a large force to bring the 5000-kg train of
cars from a speed of approximately 20 m/s to a speed of 5 m/s over a distance of 20 meters (see diagram).
Determine the force.
11. Suppose 12,500 J of work is done horizontally on a body that was initially at rest. If its final velocity was
50 m/s, find the mass of the body.
12. A 10 kg mass is moving with a constant velocity of 10.0 m/s.
a) How much work must be done to double the speed to 20.0 m/s?
b) How much work must be done to halve the original speed to 5.00 m/s?
13. The frictional force of –4.00 N acts for a distance of 15.0m on the object.
10 m/s
What is the final velocity of the object? 4 kg
14. Through what distance must the 2.00 N 5 m/s 25 m/s
8 kg 8 kg
force act, in order to change the velocity of the
8.00kg mass from 5.00m/s to 25.0m/s?
Fapplied = 2 N
15. At a time when the block has moved 12.0 meters, find:
a) Kinetic Energy at that time Ff = 4 N
Fapp = 24 N
b) Work done by friction 8 kg
c) Work done by the applied force
d) The net work done on the object.
Answers
1. a) 750 N b) it won’t make it c) There is friction in moving parts and air resistance and this will vary with the change in speed as
the car goes up and down the hill
2. 20.5m
3. a) 491 J. b) 14.0 m/s. c) 9.9 m/s
4. 12m
5. At A: Ug = 49050 J, K = 0 J
At C: Ug = 14715 J, K = 34335 J
At D: Ug = 29430 J, K = 19620 J
At E: Ug = 0 J, K = 49050 J
a) v - 28 m/s. b) v = 44 m/s
8. No difference If drag isn’t considered
Advantage if drag is considered since a greater drag force is needed with a greater weight to give Fnet =0. This means the skier
with greater mass will achieve a constant speed later and at a higher speed
9. 26.8 m
10. 47 kN
11. 10 kg
12. -375 J
13. 8.4 m/s
14. 1200 m
15. a) 240 J b) 48 J c) 288 J d) 240 J
