Mechanical work requires a force capable of altering the state of motion of a body.
Work is a notion with multiple meanings. In this case, we are interested in its meaning linked to the product of a force . Mechanical , for its part, is a term that is related to the branch of physics that focuses on the movement and balance of objects that are subject to the influence of a force.
Mechanical work is called work developed by a force when it manages to modify the state of motion of an object. Mechanical work is therefore equivalent to the energy needed to move the object in question .
Physical magnitude and equation
In this context, mechanical work can be understood as a scalar physical magnitude , which is expressed by the unit of energy known as a joule . Whenever a force is applied to a body and displaces it, it performs mechanical work that can be measured in joules.
When mechanical work (which is symbolized by the letter W , for the English term “work” ) is expressed through an equation, it is mentioned that W is equal to the force applied times the distance traveled. This is because mechanical work assumes that the force is applied in a certain path.
Example of mechanical work
A simple example of mechanical work is found when a worker pushes a wheelbarrow loaded with bricks from one sector of a construction site to another. The person applies a force to move the truck: therefore, he does mechanical work.
The application of said force is maintained until the man stops pushing the forklift; Once you stop pushing (that is, performing mechanical work), the truck stops.
When a person pushes a wheelbarrow with bricks, he or she performs mechanical work.
Classification according to type
It is important that we also know that the work at hand, if we take into consideration both the displacement it undertakes and the force and angle it generates, can be classified into several types:
-The negative or resistant work, which would be, for example, that of the friction force and which is expressed by W0. A clear example of this type is the work that an ox pulling a plow comes to do.
-No work, which could be what anyone does, in terms of strength and weight, when traveling in their car. It is expressed in the following way: W=0.
When talking about mechanical work, it is common that, in the same way, we choose to mention two other types of work that exist and that are especially used in the field of Physics, in order to understand the world around us. We are referring specifically to these:
-Electrical work, which, as its name indicates, refers to the set of charges and their movement within a specific electric field.
-Thermodynamic work. This refers to the set of changes that bodies experience in terms of their volumes when they are subjected to different pressures or when they are subjected to different temperatures.