ABSTRACT
If a body moves as a result of a force being applied to it, the force is said to do work on the body. The amount of work done is the product of the applied force and the distance, i.e.
work done = forceU distance moved in the direction of the force
The unit of work is the joule, J, which is defined as the amount of work done when a force of 1 newton acts for a distance of 1m in the direction of the force. Thus,
1 J = 1Nm. If a graph is plotted of experimental values of force (on
the vertical axis) against distance moved (on the horizontal axis) a force/distance graph or work diagram is produced. The area under the graph represents the work done.
