Is Energy stored Force? I am currently studying the relationships between energy work and force. I am trying to conceptualize them into one concept of causality. When a force is applied work is done, and energy is transferred but does this not mean that energy is essentially just stored work being transferred? Also, this explanation doesn't seem like a line of causality. When I try to make sense of the relationships I think of the force being the causation of work and so the energy being the stored force, because energy is defined as the ability to do work which is caused by force and so stored in the force until it can be transferred into work. In other words, I am lost, please help!
 A: Energy is defined as the capacity to do work, as it is rightly pointed out by you.
When a force acts on a body in the direction of the displacement of the body, we say that the force has done some work on the body.
Work done(W) = F. ds = F.ds.cosθ ;
where θ is the angle between the force applied and the direction of displacement (since both are vector quantities so direction plays an important role).
Very basic of physics - Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed from one form to another.
Work done on a body= energy gained/lost by it.
When you do some work on a body, what you're essentially doing is that you're providing it with energy.
When you push a ball(by applying force), you do some work on it. The work done by you on the ball has now become its energy. That energy would be used by the ball to travel some distance.
The energy of the ball would be spent in travelling some distance and the ball will eventually come to rest as the floor on which the ball was moving applies the force of friction which opposes the motion of ball.
I hope this helps.
A: Work is energy transfer due to force times displacement in the direction of the force.
Force alone is a necessary but not sufficient condition for work to be done. I can apply a force to a wall but if it does not move I do no physics work (though I may expend energy internally in my attempt).
Likewise, displacement is a necessary but not sufficient condition for work to be done. An object can move (be displaced) at constant speed in a straight line with no force, thus no work is done. An object can move perpendicular to the line of action of the force and no work is done.
Force plus displacement in the direction of the force are the necessary and sufficient conditions for work (energy transfer) to be done.
Hope this helps.
