Home · IGCSE 0625 · Motion, forces, energy · Work done · Practice
Practice questions · Work done

Force through a distance.

Six original Cambridge-style questions on calculating work done, work as energy transferred, the no-motion-no-work case, and the perpendicular-force trap.

Original questions All questions on this page are original work, written in the Cambridge IGCSE style. They are not from past papers. They test the same concepts and skills the syllabus rewards.
Same direction

W = Fd, and work is energy.

01
[2 marks]

Write the equation for work done, state its unit, and state how work done is related to energy.

  • W = Fd (force × distance moved in the direction of the force); unit joule (J). ✓
  • The work done is equal to the energy transferred. ✓
02
Calculation
[2 marks]

A force of 30 N pushes a box 5.0 m in the direction of the force. Calculate the work done.

W = Fd = 30 × 5.0

150 J

03
Calculation
[2 marks]

A trolley is pulled 2.5 m along a bench by a steady force of 12 N. Calculate the work done and state the energy transferred.

W = Fd = 12 × 2.5 = 30 J

30 J of energy transferred

04
Analysis
[2 marks]

A person pushes hard against a heavy wall, but the wall does not move. State the work done on the wall and explain your answer.

  • The work done is zero. ✓
  • W = Fd, and the distance moved in the direction of the force is zero, so no work is done. ✓
05
Analysis
[2 marks]

A waiter carries a tray at a constant height while walking horizontally across a room. Explain why the upward force on the tray does no work.

  • The supporting force is vertical, but the motion is horizontal. ✓
  • There is no movement in the direction of that force, so it does no work. ✓

work needs force and motion in the same direction

06
Calculation
[2 marks]

A steady force of 40 N does 240 J of work pushing a crate. Calculate the distance the crate moves in the direction of the force.

W = Fd  →  d = W ÷ F = 240 ÷ 40

d = 6.0 m