Question

Anne exerts a force of 34.1 N to pitch a softball. She moves the ball 1.8 meters before releasing it. What amount of work did Anne do on the ball?
Responses

18.9 J


32.3 J


61.38 J


35.9 J

Answer 1

The work done on an object can be calculated using the formula:

\[ \text{Work} = \text{Force} \times \text{Distance} \times \cos(\theta) \]

where:
- Work is measured in joules (J)
- Force is measured in newtons (N)
- Distance is measured in meters (m)
- \( \theta \) is the angle between the force and the direction of motion

Since Anne is exerting the force in the same direction that the ball is moving, we can assume \( \theta = 0 \) degrees. The cosine of 0 degrees is 1.

Given:
- Force \( F = 34.1 \, \text{N} \)
- Distance \( d = 1.8 \, \text{m} \)

Now we can calculate the work:

\[
\text{Work} = 34.1 \, \text{N} \times 1.8 \, \text{m} \times \cos(0)
\]
\[
\text{Work} = 34.1 \, \text{N} \times 1.8 \, \text{m} \times 1
\]
\[
\text{Work} = 34.1 \times 1.8 = 61.38 \, \text{J}
\]

So the amount of work that Anne did on the ball is **61.38 J**.