Work is done whenever energy is transferred from one store to another. Mechanical work involves using a force to move an object. Electrical work involves a current transferring energy. Work done (J) = Force (N) x Distance (m) Example: During braking, a force of 2000N is applied to the brakes of a car. The car takes 20m to come to a stop.

Based on the equation above, you can calculate work by multiplying force and displacement. For example, if a person exerts a 5text { N} 5 N force that pushes a box 2text { m} 2 m, then the work done on the box will be 5text { N} cdot 2text { m} 5 N ⋅2 m or 10text { Nm} 10 Nm.

The formula for work is, work equals force times distance. In this case, there is only one force acting upon the object: the force due to gravity. Plug in our given information for the distance to solve for the work done by gravity. Remember, since the object will be moving downward, the distance should be negative.