KINETIC ENERGY

WHAT IS KINETIC ENERGY?

→ is the energy of motion. An object that has motion - whether it is vertical or
horizontal motion - has kinetic energy. There are many forms of kinetic energy -
vibrational (the energy due to vibrational motion), rotational (the energy due to
rotational motion), and translational (the energy due to motion from one location to
another). To keep matters simple, we will focus upon translational kinetic energy.
The amount of translational kinetic energy (from here on, the phrase kinetic energy
will refer to translational kinetic energy) that an object has depends upon two
variables: the mass (m) of the object and the speed (v) of the object. The following
equation is used to represent the kinetic energy (KE) of an object. The faster an
object is moving, the more kinetic energy it has.
EXAMPLES OF KINETIC ENERGY:

1.

2.
Formula Of Kinetic Energy:
E = 0.5 • m • v 2

where m = mass of object

v = speed of object

This equation reveals that the kinetic energy of an object is

directly proportional to the square of its speed. That means
that for a twofold increase in speed, the kinetic energy will
increase by a factor of four. For a threefold increase in speed, the kinetic
energy will increase by a factor of nine. And for a fourfold increase in speed,
the kinetic energy will increase by a factor of sixteen. The kinetic energy is
dependent upon the square of the speed. As it is often said, an equation is
not merely a recipe for algebraic problem solving, but also a guide to
thinking about the relationship between quantities.
Kinetic energy is a scalar quantity; it does not have a direction.
Unlike velocity, acceleration, force, and momentum, the kinetic energy of an
object is completely described by magnitude alone. Like work and potential
energy, the standard metric unit of measurement for kinetic energy is the
Joule. As might be implied by the above equation, 1 Joule is equivalent to 1
kg*(m/s)^2.

EX.

1 Joule = 1 kg • m /s
2 2
 How is kinetic energy calculated?
The kinetic energy of an object is calculated based on two factors:

 Velocity: The speed the object is moving in a particular direction.

 Mass: How much matter is in the object (this is usually measured by

the weight of the object).

 
Difference Between Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy

Energy implies as the object’s capability to perform work. It is

something that cannot be created or destroyed but can only be transformed. An object loses its
energy, when it performs work, whereas it gains energy when the work is performed on it.
Energy is broadly classified as kinetic energy and potential energy. While kinetic energy is the
energy which an object contains because of a particular motion.
On the other hand, potential energy is the stored energy, because of its state of rest. As both
the two forms of energy are measured in joules, people get easily confused between these two.
So, take a read of the article which will help you to understand the differences between kinetic
and potential energy.
 Broadly speaking, all energy in the universe can be categorized as either potential energy or kinetic energy. Potential energy is the energy
associated with position, like a ball held up in the air. When you let go of that ball and let it fall, the potential energy converts into  kinetic
energy, or the energy associated with motion.
There are five types of kinetic energy: radiant, thermal, sound, electrical and mechanical. Let's explore several kinetic energy examples
to better illustrate these various forms.

What is 'work'?
'Work' means a force acting on an object in the direction the object is moving in.

If we want to change the kinetic energy of a large object, i.e. move it, we need to do work on it.

Let's imagine we want to pick up a heavy object from the ground.

To lift it, we need to do 'work' to overcome the force of gravity (which is keeping it on the ground) and move the object upward.

 It will take twice as much work to lift the same object twice as high.

 If the object is twice as heavy, it will take twice as much work to lift it to the same height.

The amount of work we need to do depends on the weight of the object and the distance we want to move it.
Discussion
Kinetic energy is a simple concept with a simple equation that is simple to derive. Let's do it twice.

Derivation using algebra alone (and assuming acceleration is constant). Start from the work-energy theorem, then add in
Newton's second law of motion.

ΔK = W = FΔs = maΔs

Take the the appropriate equation from kinematics and rearrange it a bit.

v  = v  + 2aΔ  
2
0
2

s  
v  − v
2
0
2

aΔs = 
2

Combine the two expressions.

⎛
v  − v ⎞
2
0
2

ΔK = m ⎝ ⎠
2

And now something a bit unusual. Expand.

 1 1
ΔK =   mv  −   mv 2
0
2

2 2
If kinetic energy is the energy of motion then, naturally, the kinetic energy of an object at rest should be zero. Therefore,
we don't need the second term and an object's kinetic energy is just…
K = ½mv 2

Derivation using calculus (but now we don't need to assume anything about the acceleration). Again, start from the work-
energy theorem and add in Newton's second law of motion (the calculus version).

 
ΔK = 
W
 

 
⌠
ΔK =  F(r) · dr
⌡
 

 
⌠ ma · d
ΔK = 
⌡ r
 

d
ΔK =  ⌠ v
 · dr
m ⌡
dt

Rearrange the differential terms to get the integral and the function into agreement.

d
ΔK =  ⌠ v
 · dr
m ⌡
dt

dr
ΔK =  ⌠
 · dv 
m ⌡
dt

 
ΔK =  ⌠
 v · dv
m ⌡
 

The integral of which is quite simple to evaluate over the limits initial speed (v) to final speed (v ).
0
 1 1
ΔK =   mv  −   mv
2
0
2

2 2
Naturally, the kinetic energy of an object at rest should be zero. Thus an object's kinetic energy is defined mathematically
by the following equation…
K = ½mv
2

Thomas Young (1773–1829) derived a similar formula in 1807, although he neglected to add the ½ to the front and he
didn't use the words mass and weight with the same precision we do nowadays. He was also the first to use the word
energy with its current meaning in a lecture on collisions given before the Royal Institution.