How much work will the Normal do?

You bend your knees before jumping. Then you push the ground downwards to jump. What is the work done by the normal reaction on you during the push ?


Inspired by Steven Chase
Positive Zero Negative

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

2 solutions

Rohit Gupta
Dec 26, 2016

Although, it is very intuitive to think that the person gets the energy needed for the jump by the work done of the normal reaction. However, this is not true at all.

Work done is the product of force and the displacement of the point of application of the force.

If we keep our concentration at the point of contact (feet), we will find that during the push, his feet remains intact with the ground and their displacement is zero. Therefore, the work done by the normal reaction is zero.

The energy he gets for jumping is through his muscles which convert the muscular energy in the kinetic energy.

Max Yuen
Jun 8, 2019

All of the "forces" are internal to the body and are in the form of tension in the muscles, which produces torques around the joints. These torques are converted into translational motion by counter rotating joints that convert it back into translational motion, which accelerates the center of mass upwards. The momentum gained is enough to lift your entire body off the ground. The normal force acting the foot from the ground doesn't move any thing so that does no work. However, it can take away energy if it is not rigid, say a soft springy child safe surface could actually reduce the upward motion.

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...