Question

Sam is moving house and is carrying a 300N box of books up a flight of steps 5m high, it takes her 30 seconds. Gary follows her carrying a bag of clothes doing 1000 J of work; it only takes him 25 seconds. Who provides the biggest power? Show your working.

Answer 1

Answer: Sam provides the biggest power

Explanation: Power is defined, in Physics, as the rate of work done. Work is energy transferred to an object due to the force causing the displacement of the object.

So, to determine Power:

For Sam:

P = $\frac{work}{time}$

$P=\frac{F.d}{t}$

$P=\frac{300.5}{30}$

P = 50 Watts

The unit for Power is [P] = J/s = Watt

For Gary:

P = $\frac{work}{time}$

$P=\frac{1000}{25}$

P = 40 Watts

Comparing power of Sam and Gary, we can conclude that Sam provides the biggest power of 50 Watts.