In physics, work is defined as the force applied to an object, times the distanc
ID: 2843409 • Letter: I
Question
In physics, work is defined as the force applied to an object, times the distance that the object travels through(assuming the force is constant.) That is, W = Fd. However, if the force applied to the object CHANGES as we push it through our distance, we need a generalized definition for Work. If F(x) is the force applied to our object at position x, how could we write the work done to the object between x = a and x = b as an integral? (Hint: to set this up, you can think about Riemann sums - What's an expression for the work done in a tiny little x - interval?)
Explanation / Answer
work =integrate F(x) dx from limit x = a to x = b