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Article By:
Barger, Vernon D. Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
Last reviewed:June 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.749400
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In physics, the transference of energy that occurs when a force is applied to a body that is moving in such a way that the force has a component in the direction of the body's motion. Work is accordingly done on a weight that is being lifted (Fig. 1), or on a spring that is being stretched or compressed, or on a gas that is undergoing compression in a cylinder. See also: Force; Physics
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