Work is a name used in physics for processes that transfer energy between objects by the application of a force over a distance. Take throwing a baseball, for example. As your arm moves, your hand applies a force in the direction the baseball is moving. During the time the ball is in your hand and moving forward, you are doing work on the ball. The total amount of work done can be calculated as the product of the force you apply times the distance over which you applied force. Once it leaves your hand, you’re no longer applying a force, so you aren’t doing work on it anymore.