Example 1
Shoving a heavy crate across the warehouse floor: a steady 250 N over 12 m. Your back logs every joule of it.
Work W = F·s calculator
Enter force and distance. The calculator computes work W = F·s when the force runs along the motion. 200 N over 10 m is 2000 J, slow or fast: time belongs to power.
Result
Force (N) and Distance (m). Work shows up here.
How it works
Work in physics is force times distance when the force runs along the motion: W = F·s. Pushing a crate 10 m at 200 N is 2000 J. The same 200 N over 5 m is 1000 J. 50 N over 4 m is 200 J. Holding a bag for an hour with no shift is about zero joules, even if your arms ache: s = 0.
Force is in newtons, distance in meters or in the US label unit. The result is in joules. An angle other than 0° needs the component F cosθ; type that component as F. Time is not in the formula: 2000 J comes out slow or fast. A comma and a period are the same distance: 12,5 and 12.5.
Typed 0 N or 0 m gives 0 J: nothing pushes or nothing moves. Both fields need a number before 2000 can appear. Force from mass can come from F = m·a next door, then you return here with newtons.
Power P = W/t divides those joules by seconds. 2000 J in 10 s is 200 W. Kinetic energy Ek = ½ m v² uses the same unit, a different formula: speed there, force and distance here. When lifting, W can sit near Ep = m g h if F ≈ mg.
For a spring, work is not F times x, it is ½ k x². This calculator stays with a constant force along s. Towing at an angle: take F cosθ first, then this product.
Type 200 and 10, click Calculate, and match 2000 J. Then 200 and 5: 1000 J. The header symbol does not push the crate. Treat 2000 as joules from the product, not as ache in the arms.
Force from mass: F = m·a. Rate: P = W/t.
How to use
- In the first field enter force F in newtons, for example 200. Convert mass to newtons on F = m·a first if that is what you have.
- In the second field enter distance s in meters, for example 10. Angle other than 0°: type the component F cosθ as F, not the whole vector.
- Click Calculate. The calculator multiplies F by s. 200 N and 10 m give 2000 J, slow or fast. 200 N over 5 m is 1000 J. 50 N over 4 m is 200 J.
- Typed 0 N gives 0 J. Both fields need a number. There is no time here: those same 2000 J in 10 s are 200 W on the power page.
- Want watts? Open P = W/t. Energy from speed is on Ek. A spring is on ½kx². Here it stays F·s for a constant force.
Formula
W = F · s
Force along the path. Time does not enter. Angle: take F cosθ first, then this card.
W, F, and s for force along the path
Work in this calculator is force times distance. Time does not enter. Take F cosθ first if the problem has an angle, then type that component.
- W
- Work in joules: W = F·s. 1 J = 1 N·m. Power P = W/t is another calculator, because t is not here.
- F
- Force in newtons along the path. If the problem gives an angle, take F cosθ first; do not type the slanted force whole.
- s
- Distance in meters. Zero meters gives W = 0. That is displacement along F, not a loop around a circle.
- N
- The unit of F on the label. Weight in newtons can go in F when you lift vertically through s.
Real-life examples
Example 2
A full cart through the whole supermarket: about 80 N of push over 40 m of aisles, produce section to checkout.
Example 3
Dead battery morning: you push the car at 600 N for the first 3 m just to get it rolling for a bump start.
Example 4
A wheelbarrow full of soil: 350 N of push over 25 m, one end of the garden to the other. Spring cleanup, in joules.
Example 5
Dragging the vacuum behind you: a modest 40 N, but over 15 m of living room it quietly adds up to real work.
Example 6
Hoisting a dresser onto the van: 500 N lifted through 0.8 m. A short path, but every vertical centimeter costs.
Example 7
Winching a car onto the trailer: the cable pulls at 1200 N through the last 2 m of the ramp until the wheels settle.
Example 8
Riding into a headwind: only 30 N of drag, but held over 5000 m. That is why your legs beg for mercy afterwards.
Example 9
Shuffling the sofa to the far wall: 450 N of scraping over 6 m of floor. Thirty seconds, a surprising joule count.
Example 10
Towing a kid on a sled at 70 N over 80 m of snowy path: the most pleasant physical work winter has to offer.
Example 11
A luggage cart stacked with suitcases: 120 N of push along 60 m of platform, from the stairs to the last carriage.
Example 12
Walking the fridge to its new corner: 700 N of push over 4 m of kitchen floor. A short trip felt in every muscle.
Frequently asked questions
How many joules at 200 N over 10 m?
W = 200 × 10 = 2000 J. Slow or fast is the same. Over 5 m that is 1000 J. 50 N over 4 m is 200 J.
Does work mean I get tired?
Not in physics. Force with no distance is about zero joules. Sore arms are not an SI unit. Holding a bag for an hour at s = 0 does not count as work.
Which units do I type?
Force in N, distance in m or the labeled unit. Result in J. Convert mass to newtons on F = m·a first.
Where is time?
In power P = W/t. This calculator has no time. 2000 J in 10 s is 200 W. The work stays the same, the rate changes.
What about an angle?
The simple formula assumes force along s. When towing, take F cosθ and type that as F. There is no angle field.
Where is F = m·a?
On the force page. Here you already type F, not mass. 80 kg is not 80 N.
Does a comma in 12.5 m work?
Yes. 12,5 and 12.5 are the same distance. The calculator does not require a period.
Where is kinetic energy?
On Ek = ½mv². Here work from force and distance, there energy from speed. Same unit, different formula.
Is 0 m zero joules?
Yes. Typed 0 in s gives W = 0. Both fields need a number before 2000 appears. A skipped distance is not a zero to compute.
For a spring, is W = F x?
No. Spring energy is ½kx². Here a constant force along the path. Different card, different formula.
Knowledge sources
The formula is the school one. Units follow SI; NIST SP 330 and BIPM define the measures, not your result.
Page updated in 2026.