Work happens when a force makes something move. For example, when a person climbs a mountain, work is being done because they are going against gravity to go up. So, two things matter for work:
- Magnitude of force
- The direction in which the body moves due to the force applied.
To calculate work, you multiply how far something moves by the force acting on it. Work is just a number, and the unit we use to measure it is called the Joule. The formula for work is: Work = Force × Distance or W = F ×× S
But there’s a little twist: if the force isn’t pushing in the exact same direction as the movement, you have to use the cosine of the angle between them in the formula: W = F ×× S ×× Cos θ�
It’s important to note that work only happens when a force causes something to move. If you push a wall and it doesn’t move, you’re not doing any work on it. However, you’re still using energy because your muscles are working, and you might get tired.
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