When we talk about work done by tension, it’s important to understand the concept of work in physics. Work is defined as the product of the force applied to an object and the displacement of the object in the direction of the force. Mathematically, it is expressed as:
W = F × d × cos(θ)
Where:
- W is the work done,
- F is the force applied,
- d is the displacement,
- θ is the angle between the force and the direction of displacement.
In the case of tension, the force is the tension force, and the displacement is the distance the object moves in the direction of the tension. If the tension force is applied in the same direction as the displacement (θ = 0°), the work done by tension is positive. If the tension force is applied in the opposite direction to the displacement (θ = 180°), the work done by tension is negative. If the tension force is perpendicular to the displacement (θ = 90°), no work is done by tension.
For example, if you pull a box with a rope, the tension in the rope does positive work on the box as it moves in the direction of the pull. Conversely, if you lower a box with a rope, the tension in the rope does negative work on the box as it moves in the opposite direction of the pull.
In summary, the amount of work done by tension depends on the magnitude of the tension force, the displacement of the object, and the angle between the force and the direction of displacement.