To determine which quantity has different dimensions, we examine the dimensional formula for each:
- Work and Energy: Work (W=F⋅d) and all forms of energy (kinetic, potential, etc.) have the same dimensions . Since Force has dimensions [MLT−2] and distance is [L], Work and Energy have dimensions of [ML2T−2] .
- Torque: Torque is defined as the moment of force (τ=r×F) . Its magnitude is force times the perpendicular distance, giving it the same dimensions as work or energy: [ML2T−2] .
- Power: Power (P) is defined as the rate of doing work (P=W/t) . Dividing the dimensions of work ([ML2T−2]) by time ([T]) gives the dimensions for power as [ML2T−3] .
Comparing the results, Power ([ML2T−3]) is the only quantity with dimensions different from the others ([ML2T−2]).