Final answer:
The work done by a force can be calculated using the formula Work = Force × Distance × Cosine(theta). The magnitude of the force and the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector are needed to perform the calculation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The work done by a force as an object moves from one point to another can be calculated using the formula:
Work = Force × Distance × Cosine(theta)
Where Force is the magnitude of the force, Distance is the displacement of the object, and theta is the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector.
In order to determine the work done by the force, we need to know the magnitude of the force and the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector. Once we have this information, we can use the formula to calculate the work.
For example:
Question: A constant 20-N force pushes a small ball in the direction of the force over a distance of 5.0 m. What is the work done by the force?
Answer: In this case, the magnitude of the force is 20 N and the angle between the force vector and the displacement vector is 0 degrees (since they are parallel). Using the formula, we can calculate the work:
Work = 20 N × 5.0 m × Cosine(0) = 100 J