Final answer:
Zero work is done when a force is applied perpendicular to the displacement of an object, as the force has no component in the direction of the displacement.
Step-by-step explanation:
Work is said to be done when a force applied to an object causes displacement of the object in the direction of the applied force. The amount of work done is the product of the force and the displacement in the direction of the force, which can be mathematically expressed as W = Fd cos θ, where W is the work done, F is the magnitude of the force, d is the displacement, and θ is the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector.
Based on this definition, zero work is done in the following situations:
- When the displacement is zero, regardless of the amount of force applied.
- When the force is perpendicular to the displacement where cos θ is zero, as the cosine of 90 degrees (or π/2 radians) is zero.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question "Which of the following situations results in zero work done?" is (c) An applied force is perpendicular to the displacement of an object.