Final answer:
The work done in lifting a 10-pound object 2 feet off the ground is approximately 27.12 Joules, calculated using the formula W = Fd, where F is the force in Newtons resulting from the object's weight, and d is the distance in meters that the object is lifted.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the work done in lifting a 10-pound object from the ground, we need to use the formula for work: W = Fd, where W is the work, F is the force, and d is the distance moved in the direction of the force. In this scenario, the force is the weight of the object due to gravity, and the distance would be how high the object is lifted.
First, we need to convert the weight from pounds to Newtons since the standard unit of force in physics is the Newton (N). There are approximately 4.44822 Newtons in one pound. So, a 10-pound object would exert a gravitational force of 44.4822 N down towards the ground. If we lift this object, say, 2 feet off the ground, we convert this distance to meters (1 foot is approximately 0.3048 meters), which gives us 2 feet * 0.3048 meters/foot = 0.6096 meters.
The work done in lifting the object would then be: W = 44.4822 N * 0.6096 meters. Performing the multiplication yields approximately 27.12 Joules (J) of work done.