You and your friend are trekking across a nearly frictionless frozen lake to a c
ID: 2054147 • Letter: Y
Question
You and your friend are trekking across a nearly frictionless frozen lake to a camp on the other side. Two of you are each pulling a sled loaded with camping equipment and supplies. You both notice, however that you are pulling a much heavier load on your sled than your friend. Your friend, knowing that you are taking physics, asks “Suppose we were both to continuously pull our respective sleds with exactly the same force from the same starting point on this shore of the lake all the way to the opposite shore of the lake, which one of us – the one pulling the heavier or the lighter sled – would do more work? Which will have the greater energy?” What is your answer?” Explain your reasoning.
HINT: When you explain your reasoning you need to describe your answer clearly and completely by providing all reasons that supports your answer.
Essay answers are limited to about 500 words (3800 characters maximum, including spaces).
Explanation / Answer
You both do the same amount of work, and at the other end of the lake both sleds have the same amount of energy. Work is force times distance, and you are applying the same amount of force across the same distance. Kinetic energy at the end equals work done. The lighter sled will get there more quickly, and therefore will have less momentum, but the question is asking about energy not momentum. Momentum is force times time; energy is force times distance.
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