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Mathematically, work (W) is calculated from knowledge of the force (F) that acts upon an object, the displacement (d) that the force causes, and the angle (Θ) between the force and displacement vectors. The formula is
W = F • d • cosine(Θ)
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It is often the case that the units of a quantity can be determined from the formula for the quantity. In the case of work, the units would be a unit of force multiplied by a unit of displacement. This would be a Newton • meter, abbreviated N•m. The unit Joule, abbreviated J, is defined to be equivalent to a N•m. Thus, Joule is the standard unit of work in the metric system.
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