Work (physics)
Energy transferred by force along a displacement.
Last updated
When a constant force acts in the same direction as motion, work is calculated by multiplying the force's magnitude by the distance moved.[1]
Quick Facts
- Unit
- joule (J)
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
During the Renaissance, scholars began studying how far simple machines could lift a load, leading to the concept of mechanical work.[2] The term "work" was formally introduced in the late 1820s independently by Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis and Jean-Victor Poncelet.[3] One joule is defined as the work done when a force of one newton moves a point one metre in the force's direction.[4] The work–energy principle states that positive work increases a rigid body's kinetic energy by an equal amount.[5]
In 1600, Galileo Galilei demonstrated that simple machines merely transform energy rather than creating it.[2] The joule, named for James Prescott Joule, serves as the SI unit for work.[4] Positive work occurs when a force has a component aligned with the displacement direction.[1]
What the cited sources add
The Open Library record for ISBN 9780313324338 lists "Groundbreaking Scientific Experiments, Inventions, and Discoveries of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance" as a 344-page book published by Greenwood Press on March 30, 2004.[6] The Open Library record for ISBN 9780787636517 lists "World of Physics" as an 850-page book published by Thomson Gale in March 2001.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Work (physics)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: NCERT, "Physics Book", ncert.nic.in, 2020 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Work (physics)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Krebs, "Groundbreaking Experiments, Inventions, and Discoveries of the Middle Ages", Greenwood, 2004, p. 163; Stephen, "Wheels, clocks, and rockets: a history of technology", W. W. Norton & Company, 2001, p. 85–87; Krebs, "Groundbreaking Experiments, Inventions, and Discoveries of the Middle Ages", Greenwood, 2004, p. 163 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Work (physics)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Coriolis, "Calculation of the Effect of Machines, or Considerations on the Use of Engines and their Evaluation", Carilian-Goeury, Libraire, 1829; Poncelet, "Introduction a la mécanique industrielle, physique ou expérimentale", 1839; Grattan-Guinness, "Work for the workers: Advances in engineering mechanics and instruction in France, 1800–1830", Annals of Science, 1984, p. 1–33 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Work (physics)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Resolution 2 (1946)", BIPM (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Work (physics)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "World of physics", Gale, May 5, 2010 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Open Library record, ISBN 9780313324338 ("Groundbreaking Scientific Experiments, Inventions, and Discoveries of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (Groundbreaking Scientific Experiments, Inventions and Discoveries through the Ages)"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
- Open Library record, ISBN 9780787636517 ("World of Physics (World Of...)"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Work (physics) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Classical Mechanics
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Work (physics) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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