SI unit of work is the joule (J)
Work, in physics, is defined as the product of force and displacement in the direction of the force. The SI (International System of Units) unit of work is the joule (J), named after the English physicist James Prescott Joule. One joule is equivalent to the work done when a force of one Newton is applied to move an object one meter in the direction of the force.
The mathematical expression for work (W) is given by:
W = F d cos θ
where:
- F is the force applied,
- d is the displacement of the object, and
- θ is the angle between the force and the direction of displacement.
When the force and displacement are in the same direction, the angle θ is 0 degrees, and the cosine of 0 degrees is 1, simplifying the formula to W = Fxd