Why is the sodium-potassium pump considered as an active transport mechanism?

The sodium-potassium pump is considered an active transport mechanism because the pumping of ions against their concentration gradients requires energy from an external source. ATP is the energy-carrying molecule of the cell, and is the fuel for the pump to function. When sodium-potassium-ATPase enzyme splits a phosphate group from the ATP, energy is released to fuel the transport action of the pump. The chemical equation for this process is ATP →ADP + P.