What is defined as the ability to do work?

The ability to do work is defined as energy. In scientific terms, energy is the capacity that a physical system has to perform work over time. There are various forms of energy, such as kinetic, potential, thermal, and electrical, and they all play a role in enabling systems to do work.

Work is done when a force acts upon an object to move it over a distance; therefore, without energy, no work can be accomplished. Understanding this definition is fundamental to many principles in physics and engineering, as it relates to how systems function and interact with one another.

The other terms mentioned have distinct meanings. For instance, force refers to an influence that causes an object to be accelerated, while power refers to the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. Mass, on the other hand, is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and is not directly a measure of work or energy. Thus, energy is precisely what defines the ability to do work.