AFOQT Practice Test

What term describes the ability to do work in physics?

1. Mass

2. Force

3. Energy

4. Power

The correct answer is: Energy

The term that describes the ability to do work in physics is energy. Energy is a fundamental concept in physics that quantifies the capacity to perform work or produce heat. It exists in various forms, including kinetic energy, potential energy, thermal energy, and more. When work is performed, energy is transformed or transferred, demonstrating the relationship between the two concepts. Mass relates to the amount of matter in an object and is not directly a measure of the ability to perform work. Force is an interaction that causes an object to change its state of motion and is calculated as mass times acceleration; while force is involved in doing work, it does not itself quantify the ability to do work. Power, on the other hand, is the rate at which work is performed or energy is transferred over time, which is related but specifically measures how quickly work is done, rather than the capacity to do work itself.