Which of the following scenarios represents a failure to do work?

In the context of physics, work is defined as the transfer of energy that occurs when a force is applied to an object and the object moves in the direction of that force. For work to be done, there must be both a force acting on an object and a displacement of that object in the direction of the applied force.

In the scenario where a person is pushing against a wall without any movement, although a force is being exerted, there is no displacement of the wall. The wall does not move, and therefore, no work is done on it. This illustrates a situation where energy is exerted, but because there is no movement of the object being pushed, it results in a failure to accomplish work in the physical sense.

In contrast, the other scenarios involve actual movement or displacement in relation to the forces applied. A machine lifting a weight, a child throwing a ball, and a car accelerating down a hill all involve forces that result in the movement of objects. Hence, these scenarios do represent work being done.