Power Expended by a Constant Force
The relationship between work done and the time taken to do it can be explained using the concept of power. For example, several sprinters in a race may have the same velocity when they reach the finish line, therefore doing the same amount of work, but the winner does it in the least amount of time. Thus, power is defined as the rate of doing work. Since work can vary as a function of time, the average power is defined as the work done during a time interval, divided by the time interval.