MathematicsCode 9709
Energy, work and power
What this topic asks you to be able to do
- understand what work done by a force means, and calculate how much work a constant force does when its point of application is displaced in a direction not necessarily parallel to the force
- know what kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy are, and apply the right formula for each
- understand and apply the link between the change in a system's energy and the work done on it by external forces, and, where appropriate, use the principle that energy is conserved
- apply the definition of power as a force's rate of doing work, and, for a force acting along the direction of motion, use the relationship linking power, force and velocity
- solve problems involving, for instance, a car's instantaneous acceleration as it moves up or down a hill against a resistance