Question

In a tug of war, one team is slowly giving way to the other. What work is being done, and by whom?

Answer 1

Definition of work done

Work is said to be done when a body moves through a certain distance under the effect of an applied force. It is given as,

$W=FS$

where, $F$ is force and $S$ is displacement.

Explanation

1. In a tug of war, the winning team applies a larger force as compared to the losing team.
2. Therefore, the losing team moves from its position but the winning team does not.
3. Since the losing team moves through a distance, work is done on the losing team by the winning team.
4. Since the winning team does not move from its position, no work is being done on the winning team.
5. The work done can be calculated by multiplying the resultant force applied by the two teams and the distance through which the losing team moves.