Where does all the work go?
You've been pushing this heavy box of potatoes for a very long time. You are exhausted. You realize that you are doing a lot of work! The box of potatoes is still just going at a nice constant speed as you continue to push. You find the will to go on by thinking about how incredibly awesome your Uncle's garlic mashed potatoes are. You are doing all this work, but why is the box of potatoes not speeding up? Where is all the energy you are expending going?
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1 solution
No work is needed to keep the box going at a constant speed. If the work done by friction was zero, then the work done by you to keep it going would also be zero. You are expending energy however because friction is working against you. That energy is ultimately being dissipated as heat.