From a physics perspective, if you want to move a box a distance D, or from a point X to a point Y, you have to exert A force on that box over a distance D.
And assuming the force is constant, you can find the work done by this formula. Work equals force times distance travel. If the force isn't constant, you have to do a little bit of calculus, and you have to use the integral. Okay, now, from a chemistry perspective, what is work? Well, when we're in chemistry, we basically want to work with atoms and molecules, and we say that a single molecule or an atom has some kinetic energy, translational energy. And collectively, the translational or kinetic energy of the entire system can do work.