Final answer:
The work done to pull the plates apart to a distance of 2.0 mm is found using the formula w = Fd. If the force is due to gravity, F can be replaced by the weight, which is mass times the gravitational acceleration. Without more details about the forces between the plates, the precise work cannot be calculated.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how much work must be done to pull plates apart to a distance of 2.0 mm, we use the formula w = Fd, where w is work, F is force, and d is distance. Since force can also be expressed as mass times acceleration (F = ma), if we are considering a scenario involving gravitational pull, acceleration (a) would be the acceleration due to gravity (g = 9.8 m/s²).
In a situation where you need to calculate the work done to overcome gravity, such as moving an object from the first floor of a building to the second, you would need to know the weight of the object (which is the force) and the distance moved vertically. The work done, w, is then the product of the weight (which is mass times the gravitational acceleration) and the vertical distance moved.
However, it is important to note that the work done in separating plates involves understanding the forces involved between the plates, which could be electrostatic, magnetic, or mechanical, depending on the context. Without additional information about the forces involved, we cannot calculate the exact amount of work needed to separate the plates to 2.0 mm apart.