I love traveling to differentplaces so I end up moving a lot. I have noticed tha

Question

I love traveling to differentplaces so I end up moving a lot. I have noticed that when I load aheavy box into a truck, it is easier to push it up a ramp than to lift it directly up into the truck. However, theGPE (change in the gravitational potential energy) of thebox is the same in both situations (lifting and ramp).

can Someone help me compare theamount of work that I must do to lift the box directly into thetruck with the amount of work you need to do to push the box up theramp.

Can you alsoinclude

·         therelationship between force and work

·         therelationship between work and gravitational potential energy

·         thereasons for any differences in the amount of work you do on thebox

Explanation / Answer

work=Force*distance In this case you are doing work against gravity, lifting up (or upthe ramp). To give the box more gravitational potentialenergy, you have to lift it up higher, and hence do more work. In both situations you are doing the same amount of work in thevertical direction, but when you move it up the ramp it is inincrements, so there is a small amount of work done for each smalldistance it moves. It's easier to do all the small pieces ofwork than the big chunk all at once. Actually, since you have to do work against friction when you're onthe ramp, you actually do some work in the x direction as well, soyou have more overall work when moving it up a ramp, it's just thatit's in smaller pieces so it's easier. Also, once you get it up to a certain level on the ramp, the rampsupports it for you. If you're holding it, you have to keepit at that height, so that makes it more difficult, as well. Let me know if that didn't answer everything you wanted t know.

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