Science
Work.
Definition
In physics, work is done when a force causes an object to move in the direction of that force. If you push a box across the floor, you do work on it; if you push against a wall and nothing moves, no work is done. Work is a scalar quantity measured in joules.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 Lifting a 10 kg textbook 1.5 meters onto a shelf (W = mgh ≈ 147 J)
- 2 A person pushing a grocery cart 20 meters through a store with a constant force
- 3 Gravity doing work on a skier as they descend a slope, increasing kinetic energy
Key Fact
W = Fd cos θ, measured in joules (J). 1 J = 1 N·m.