Work is done on a body only when

  • A. a force acts on it
  • B. a force acts and the body moves with a component of displacement along the force
  • C. the body is at rest
  • D. the body has energy

Explanation

Work is the dot product of force and displacement, so a porter standing still holding a heavy suitcase does no work on it however tiring it feels. Carrying it horizontally also does no work against gravity, since the weight is vertical and the displacement horizontal. The joule is the work done when a force of one newton moves its point of application one metre.

Related questions