Question

Question #69513

Answer 1

By definition, an object does not do work unless it is pushing on or passing its energy to something else.

Explanation:

Work by definition is the force (or a component of the force) times the distance it has traveled provided the force (or the component) and the distance are in the same or opposite direction.

`"Work" =int vec F*dvecr`

If `vecF`is constant, then Work `= vec F*Deltavecr`

Hence, the object, which is not a force, doesn't need to do any work or possesses any work unless it exerts a force on something else. For example, a car is smashing into road block, displacing it by 1.0 m, then the car has done work on the road block.

Another situation a body can do work is that it has high temperature-- meaning it has a lot of heat energy available. For it to do work, it must be in contact with something that has a lower temperature and that can expand or contract when it receive the heat, e.g., a gas cylinder that can expand in contact with a red hot iron bar.