How is the work done by a force calculated?

The work done by a force is calculated using the formula that incorporates both the magnitude of the force and the distance over which it acts, along with the angle between the force and the direction of motion. The correct formula is Work = Force x Distance x cosine of the angle.

In this equation:

• The force represents the applied force acting in the direction of the object's movement.

• The distance is how far the object moves while the force is applied.

• The cosine of the angle accounts for the direction of the force relative to the direction of displacement. If the force is in the same direction as the movement, the angle is 0 degrees, making cosine of the angle equal to 1, and thus maximizing the work done. If the angle is 90 degrees, the force does no work on the object since the displacement without any component of the force acting in the direction of motion results in zero work.

This formulation emphasizes that only the component of the force that acts in the direction of the movement contributes to the work done, which is why the cosine function is crucial to the calculation.