Suppose we have an indestructible box in space , and we apply equal forces on two opposite side of box , the box wont move but then where will the energy go?(Conservation of energy)
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4Possible duplicate of Why does holding something up cost energy while no work is being done? – sammy gerbil Sep 09 '18 at 08:31
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If the forces deform the box elastically, then their work is stored as elastic potential energy. – stafusa Sep 09 '18 at 10:45
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Energy is not required to produce a force. It is the force multiplied by the distance, known as the work done, that represents the kinetic energy transferred to the box. In this case, the box doesn't move, so no work is being done on the box, and hence no energy is being transferred to the box.
The same logic applies for a block at rest on a table - both gravity and the normal force are acting on it, but the block's kinetic energy remains at zero and potential energy remains unchanged.
Vincent Thacker
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