Power is defined as what?

Power is defined as what?

• A. Work divided by time
• B. Force multiplied by velocity
• C. Mass times acceleration
• D. Distance divided by time

Answer: (A)

Power is the rate at which work is done. Work is the energy transferred by a force acting through a distance, and the average power over a time interval is the work divided by the time it takes (P = W/t). This makes work divided by time the general definition of power. Instantaneous power can also be expressed as the dot product of force and velocity (P = F · v), which equals F v when the force points in the same direction as motion. The other ideas aren’t general definitions of power: mass times acceleration is force, and distance divided by time is velocity, not power.

Power is the rate at which work is done. Work is the energy transferred by a force acting through a distance, and the average power over a time interval is the work divided by the time it takes (P = W/t). This makes work divided by time the general definition of power. Instantaneous power can also be expressed as the dot product of force and velocity (P = F · v), which equals F v when the force points in the same direction as motion. The other ideas aren’t general definitions of power: mass times acceleration is force, and distance divided by time is velocity, not power.