Common misunderstandings about work and energy in physics can make it hard for students to grasp these important ideas. Here are a few key points:

1. Work Isn’t Just About Force:
   A lot of people believe that any force on an object means work gets done. But that's not true! Work (which we write as $W$) is found using this formula: $W = F \cdot d \cdot \cos(\theta)$. Here, $F$ is the force, $d$ is the distance the object moves, and $\theta$ is the angle between the force and the direction the object is moving. So, if the force is at a right angle to the movement, then no work is done at all.

2. Energy Isn’t Only About Movement:
   People often think energy is just about things moving. While kinetic energy (which we write as $KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$) does deal with movement, there’s another type called potential energy. For example, gravitational potential energy (which we call $PE = mgh$) is energy that is stored because of an object's position. Both types of energy are really important!

3. Zero Work Doesn’t Mean No Energy Change:
   Another common mistake is believing that if there’s zero work, then energy must not change. That’s not always the case! Energy can change from one type to another. For instance, when something falls, its potential energy can turn into kinetic energy, even if the total work done is zero in some situations.

Understanding these differences can really help you do better in physics!