A particle, starting at the origin, experiences a variable force defined by F(x) = 3x 2 , causing it to move along the x-axis. How much work is done on the particle from its starting point to x = 5 ?
We use our equation for the position-dependent forces:
W= ∫xfx0F(x)dx=∫503x2dx=[x3]05 = 53 = 125 J
The force does 125 Joules of work.