An object that has energy due to its position has gravitational potential energy. An object that has energy due to its motion has kinetic energy. That kinetic energy is directly proportional to the mass of the object and how fast it is moving.
Kinetic Energy (KE)
\(\large\mathsf{ KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 }\)
...where m is mass and v is the object's velocity. KE is measured in Joules.
Energy is not a vector quantity, so kinetic energy is also not a vector. You can use the magnitude of the velocity in the equation regardless of direction. That kinetic energy provides the object an ability to do work on other objects. In other words, that kinetic energy can be transferred to another object or transformed from one form to another on this object.
Question
What is the kinetic energy of a 5.00 kg object that is moving at 2.00 m/s?
Use the equation for KE to solve:
\(\mathsf{ KE = \frac{1}{2}(5.00 \text{ kg})(2.00 \text{ m/s})^2 }\)
\(\mathsf{ KE = 10.0 \text{ J} }\)
