- published: 17 Feb 2008
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In physics, mechanical work is a scalar quantity that can be described as the product of a force times the distance through which it acts, and it is called the work of the force. Only the component of a force in the direction of the movement of its point of application does work. The term work was first coined in 1826 by the French mathematician Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis.
In layman's terms work is done when a force moves an object in the direction of the applied force.
Therefore its formula would be: Work done = Force x Distance moved (in the direction of the applied force).
If a constant force of magnitude F acts on a point that moves d in the direction of the force, then the work W done by this force is calculated W=Fd. For example, if a force of 10 newtons (F=10 N) acts along a path of 2 metres (d =2 m), it will do work W equal to W =(10 N)(2 m) = 20 N*m =20 J, where joule (J) is the SI unit for work (defined as the product N*m, so that a joule is a newton-metre).
The first law of thermodynamics states that when work is done to a system (and no other energy is subtracted in other ways), the system's energy state changes by the same amount of the work input. This equates work and energy. In the case of rigid bodies, Newton's laws can be used to derive a similar relationship called the work-energy theorem.