How does one define “work”, in a physics context?

Question

I read somewhere – a while ago – that energy was required for any matter to “do work”. Is there a neat way to define what work means, in this sense?

In: 2

Answer 1

Work is always the act of moving something against some resistive force. That might be lifting a weight uphill against gravity, or pushing a block horizontally against friction, or pulling the end of a spring against the tension in the spring, or pumping air into a container against the pressure inside that container, or pushing an aircraft against air resistance and lift-induced drag.

Edit to add: if the force acts in the direction you are moving then you can do negative work.