Does the centripetal force acting on an object do work on the object?
A) yes, because the force and the displacement of the object are perpendicular
B) yes, since it takes energy to turn an object
C) yes, since a force acts and the object moves, and work is force times distance
D) no, because the force and the displacement of the object are perpendicular
E) no, because the object has constant speed

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The centripetal force does not do work on the object because it acts perpendicular to the direction of the object's displacement. Work is defined as the force component in the direction of displacement times the displacement, and since the angle between the centripetal force and displacement is 90 degrees, the work done is zero.

Does the Centripetal Force Acting on an Object Do Work