Work is the transfer of energy through motion. Whenever you make something move, you do work. When you pick up a glass of milk, put down a book or carry your backpack, you do work. Work is measured in the unit joules.

The amount of work is equal to force times distance. It can be written with this equation:

force (in newtons) × distance (in meters) = work (in joules)

The force is the push or a pull used on an object. It is measured in newtons. The distance is how far the object moves in meters. Carrying a backpack down the hall would be less work than carrying a backpack across the country. That’s because the distance the object moves is much shorter. But carrying a backpack down the hall would be more work than carrying a feather down the hall because the force, or effort, used would be greater.