What is Work?
What is Work?
To introduce the definition of work done by a force, we begin with the simple case of motion along a straight line, with the force along the line of motion, Consider a particle moving along a straight line, say, the x-axis, and suppose that a constant force F, directed along the same straight line, acts on the particle. For example, the particle might be a stalled automobile that you are pushing along a road.
Then the work done by the force F on the particle as it moves some given distance S is defined as the product of the force and the displacement,
W = F. S =FSCos α
where α is the angle between the force F and the displacement S. Work
is a scalar quantity. The unit of work is
[W] = [F] [S]
In metric system, unit of work is Joule.
[W] = 1 Joule = 1 N.m
Relation between the units of work is
1 Joule = 1 N.m = 105D. 102 cm = 107 ergs.
