Final answer:
Power is the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred, measured in watts (W), which is joules per second (J/s). By knowing the force, distance, and time, one can calculate work and then determine power.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding how to calculate power requires knowledge of energy, work, and force. Power is defined as the rate of doing work or the rate of energy transfer. The unit of power is the watt (W), which is equivalent to one joule per second (J/s).
If you are given the time and distance, and you know the force applied, you can calculate the work done by using the formula work (W) = force (F) × distance (d). From there, to find the power (P), you can use the formula power (P) = work (W) / time (t). The answer will be in watts, and this computation is indispensable for understanding energy use, efficiency, and the physics behind how machines and various systems operate.
Example Calculation
Lifting an apple with a mass of 0.1 kg up 1 meter requires 1 joule of energy. If it takes 2 seconds to lift the apple, the power expended would be (1 joule / 2 seconds) = 0.5 watts.