Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. It’s essentially the energy of something moving, and it’s determined by both the object’s mass and its velocity.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
Definition:
Kinetic energy is the energy an object has because it’s in motion.
Factors:
Two main factors determine an object’s kinetic energy:
Mass (m): The larger the mass, the greater the kinetic energy.
Velocity (v): The faster the object moves, the more kinetic energy it has.
Relationship:
Kinetic energy is directly proportional to the square of the object’s velocity. This means that if you double the velocity of an object, its kinetic energy increases by a factor of four.
Formula:
Kinetic energy (KE) can be calculated using the formula: KE = 1/2 * m * v².
Examples:
Examples of objects with kinetic energy include a moving ball, a running person, or a car driving down the street.
In essence, kinetic energy is a measure of how much work an object can do by virtue of its motion, or the energy it can transfer when it collides with another object.