Letting W be the work done on an object, F~ be the net force on the object, and ~r be the
position of the object, a differential element of work is defined by dW = F~ · d~r. If F~ is the
net force on a point object, the work is equal to the change in kinetic energy of the object.
If the net force is zero, the kinetic energy of the object does not change. With a frictional
force present it is possible for the net force to be zero and for the frictional force to raise
the temperature of the object, increasing the internal energy, with the energy supplied by
the mechanical work done. A simple example in one dimensional motion would be a block
pulled at a constant speed by a horizontal string along a horizontal frictional plane. The
force of friction would be canceled by the tension in the string. Assume that the block can
conduct heat but that the plane cannot. The person pulling the string is doing work, and the
temperature and internal energy of the block rises. The frictional rubbing sets the molecules
at the plane-block intersection vibrating and increases the local temperature. Heat flows
into the block but not the plane because the plane was assumed to be a thermal insulator.
This experiment uses a rotational analog of the above situation. The cylinder is rotated
at a fairly constant angular velocity about a horizontal axis by a crank. The crank applies a
torque τ to the cylinder and does positive work. An opposite torque is applied to the cylinder
by cord with a weight of mass M hanging on it. The cord is wrapped a number of times
around the cylinder and held so lightly at the other end that the torque applied by this end
is negligible. The torque applied by the crank and cord are equal in magnitude but opposite
in direction, and the rotating cylinder is in what we might call “rotational equilibrium.”
The magnitude of the torque τ applied by the crank is then equal to the torque of the cord
which is MgR, where g is the acceleration of gravity and R is the radius of the cylinder.
The positive work done by turning the crank is W =
R
τ dθ, where θ is the angular rotation
of the drum in radians. If the cylinder is rotated N turns, this gives