High School

If it takes you 30 seconds to move a chair 20 meters across the floor using a force of 5 Newtons, how much power did you exert?

A. 52 joules per second
B. 120 joules per second
C. 3.33 joules per second
D. 3000 joules per second

Answer :

To solve the problem of determining the power used while moving a chair, we need to use the concepts of work and power from physics.

1. Understand the problem: We are given that a force of 5 Newtons is used to move a chair 20 meters in 30 seconds. We need to calculate the power involved in this process.

2. Calculate the work done: Work is calculated using the formula:
[tex]\[
\text{Work} = \text{Force} \times \text{Distance}
\][/tex]
Plug in the values provided:
[tex]\[
\text{Work} = 5 \, \text{Newtons} \times 20 \, \text{meters} = 100 \, \text{joules}
\][/tex]

3. Calculate the power: Power is the rate at which work is done and is calculated using the formula:
[tex]\[
\text{Power} = \frac{\text{Work}}{\text{Time}}
\][/tex]
Using the work calculated and the time given:
[tex]\[
\text{Power} = \frac{100 \, \text{joules}}{30 \, \text{seconds}} \approx 3.33 \, \text{joules per second}
\][/tex]
Power is often expressed in watts, and since 1 joule per second is equal to 1 watt, the power is approximately 3.33 watts.

Based on these calculations, the amount of power used is approximately 3.33 joules per second.