Kinetic Energy

This is the energy an object or particle has by reason of its motion.

The formula for kinetic energy is:

From the equation it can be seen that the kinetic energy of a moving object or particle not only depends on its motion but also on its mass.

 

 

Example

The kinetic energy of a car of mass 1000kg travelling at 10 m/s can be calculated as:

KE = ½ x 1000 x (10)2

KE = ½ x 1000 x 100 [remember (10)2 = 10 x 10]

KE = ½ x 100000

KE = 50,000 Joules or 50 kilojoules (kJ)