Only the component of the applied force acting in the direction of the displacement contributes to the amount of work done on an object. The unit for work is the newton metre, N . This is because the calculations yield a vector dot product.
Positive work is done when the applied force and the displacement act in the same direction.
Negative work is done when the applied force and the displacement act in opposite directions. The positive work done can be combined with the negative work done, to determine the overall work done. Work can be determined graphically by finding the area under an applied force versus displacement graph. Energy is the ability to do work. When work is done, energy is transferred from one object to another.