I was wondering, the work-energy theorem states that KE can do work, as it is Mechanical energy.
if the KE energy and thus Mechanical energy of a ball, if external...can do work on an object, applying force.
so, If I have a ball with a string attached to it with a box, some KE is lost in deformation and such but the ball extends out and pulls the box, doing work on the box.
I know a hammer hits in a nail with Kinetic energy, which is mechanical energy, I know that external forces do work, so like a bullet has the ability to do work and can do so but it penetrates and exerts force inside object, it doesn't do work as its energy is taken up in deformation and such...but if a bullet does penetrate inside the body and then still exerts a force without losing KE to deformation, it could do work and such but that doesn't happen as bullets usually deform or lose all energy, the deformations is the material doing work on the bullet but the bullet doing work on the material creative a cavity by the exerted/transferred force, the time it lasts isn't very long and it creates a cavity for a short time as the force is applied for a short time.
though we digress, if a bullet attached by string could do work pulling a box to which its connected to, correct?