Interactive Simulator

Work Done by a Pull

A box is dragged across the floor by a rope. Press Pull to watch it move while the energy meter fills. Only the part of the pull along the floor (the green arrow) does work, so W = F d cosθ. With the rope flat at 0 degrees this is simply W = Fd. Raise the angle toward 90 degrees and the work falls to zero, the same reason that carrying a bag at steady height does no work.

force along the floor, does the work force at right angles, does no work
Predict vs last pull
Challenge: transfer 120 J
pull force F 20 N
rope angle θ
force along floor F cosθ 20 N
distance d 3.0 m
work done by the pull W = F d cosθ 60 J
energy transferred 0 J