Simple machines (like the inclined plane) change force or distance, but work remains the same. If distance doesn't change, no work is done. Which statement is correct about work when using a simple machine (neglecting friction)?

• A. The total work done increases
• B. The total work done remains the same
• C. The total work done becomes zero
• D. The total work done is irrelevant

Answer: (B)

Work is the energy transferred when a force acts through a distance. In an ideal, frictionless simple machine, the input work you do equals the output work the machine does on the load. The machine may change how much force you must exert or how far you move, but the product of force and distance—the work—remains the same. So, even though you might push harder over a shorter distance or push less force over a longer distance, the total amount of work transferred does not change. If you truly don’t move at all, you do no work, but during normal operation with movement, the work you put in passes through the machine to the load, keeping the total work constant.