Kinetic Energy

The word kinetic is derived from the Greek word kinesis meaning to move and the
word energy is the ability to move. Kinetic energy refers to a form of energy which
an object or particle has due to motion. On the application of the net force on an
object, the object speeds up and consequently generates this energy. This energy is
a property of an object or particle which moves. Furthermore, this energy depends
not only on the motion but also on the mass. A body under motion is said to
possess energy called kinetic energy because it is able to do work on anybody that
comes across its path. This is the reason we do not step in front of a moving vehicle
as it has the capacity to do work on us. Consider an automobile moving with a
certain velocity. If the engine is switched off, the automobile will continue to move
with the same velocity if there is no resistance to its motion. Hence, no work is
done by the body as it causes its own displacement. However, we know that the
motion is always retarded by frictional resistance, and hence the speed goes on
decreasing until the automobile comes to a stop. Here, the body does work against
the force of friction in moving forward. Thus, kinetic energy possessed by a body
can be measured by the amount of work the moving body will do if brought to rest
or by the amount of work originally needed to impart the velocity to it
This energy refers to the work required to accelerate a body of a particular mass
from a state of rest to its stated velocity. Moreover, the same amount of work is
required for decelerating from the current speed to a position of rest. Most
noteworthy, the standard unit of this energy happens to be the joule. Also, foot-
pound is the imperial unit of this energy.

Mathematical Expression of Kinetic Energy

When the resultant force acting on a particle is non-zero, it causes acceleration of

the particle. By Newton’s second law of motion, the force and the resulting
acceleration are related as

F = ma = mdv/dt ……………………………………………. (1)

Then work done by the force in causing an infinitesimally small displacement dr is

given as F.dr. Therefore, the total work done in displacing from r1 to r2 is
r2 r2

W = ∫ Fdr = ∫ mdv/dt .dr ……………………………… (2)

r1 r1
Multiplying numerator and denominator by dt, we change the variable of
integration from dr to dt. In addition, if the particle also started from rest, then

Kinetic Energy Formula

For the Kinetic formula, Ek, is certainly the energy of a mass, m, motion, of
course, is v2.

Ek = 1/2 mv2

Ek = Kinetic energy

m = mass of the body

v = velocity of the body

Kinetic Energy Formula Derivation

Let us consider the example of an object of m which is at a state of rest on a table.

A force F acts on the object which moves it through a distance S.

The work done = F x S

W=Fnet x S——-(1)

Consider the work done on the object which results in a change in velocity from u
to V. Furthermore, one must let “a” be the acceleration.

Considering the third equation of motion:

V²-u²=2as

s=V²-u²/2a———-(2)

Applying Newton’s Second law:

F=ma——(3)
From equation (1), (2) and (3)

W=ma*(V²-u²/2a) = (1/2)m(V²-u²)

As the object is in a state of rest, u=0

W = (1/2) mV²

Furthermore, the kinetic energy of a body moving with a certain velocity is equal
to work done on the object. This work is for the purpose of acquiring that velocity
from the estate of rest.

Therefore, Kinetic energy =1/2 mV²

Kinetic Energy Examples

 A truck travelling down the road has more kinetic energy than a car
travelling at the same speed because the truck’s mass is much more than the
car’s.

 A river flowing at a certain speed comprises kinetic energy as water has a

certain velocity and mass.

 The kinetic energy of an asteroid falling towards earth is very large.

 The kinetic energy of the aeroplane is more during the flight due to its large
mass and speedy velocity.

Kinetic Energy Transformation

Kinetic energy is transferred between objects and can be transformed into other
forms of energy. Yo-Yo is a great example to describe the transformation of
kinetic energy. While beginning to play with it, one starts by letting it rest in hand;
at this point, all the energy is stored in the ball in the form of potential energy.
Once the person drops the yo-yo, the stored energy is transformed into kinetic
energy, the energy of movement. Once the ball reaches the bottom of the yo-yo, all
the energy is converted to kinetic energy.
Types of Kinetic Energy

There are five types of kinetic energy: radiant, thermal, sound, electrical and
mechanical. Let us look at some of the kinetic energy examples and learn more
about the different types of kinetic energy.

Radiant energy

Radiant energy is a type of kinetic energy that is always in motion travelling

through medium or space. Examples of radiant energy are:

 Ultraviolet light

 Gamma rays

Thermal energy

Thermal energy, known as heat energy, is generated due to the motion of atoms
when they collide with each other. Examples of thermal energy are:

 Hot springs

 Heated swimming pools

Sound energy

The vibration of an object produces sound energy. Sound energy travels through
the medium but cannot travel in a vacuum as there are no particles to act as a
medium. Examples of sound energy are:
  Tuning fork

 Beating drums

Electrical energy

Electrical energy is obtained from the free electrons that are of positive and
negative charge. Examples of electrical energy are:

 Lightning

 Batteries when in use

Mechanical energy

The sum of kinetic energy and potential energy is known as mechanical energy,
which can neither be created nor be destroyed but converted from one form to
another. Examples of mechanical energy are:

 Orbiting of satellites around the earth

 A moving car

Solved Examples on Kinetic Energy Formula

The mass of a bicycle is 10 kg, and it moves at a constant velocity of 10 km/h.

Find out the kinetic energy of this bicycle.

Soln.

Here the mass is “m’ and the velocity is “v”. Also, m = 10 kg and v = 10 km/h.
Now, one must apply the kinetic energy equation:

Ek = 1/2 mv2

Ek = 1/2 (10 kg) (10km/h)

Ek = 500 Joules

Hence, the kinetic energy, in this case, is 500 Joules.

The kinetic energy of the car is 300,000 Joules and its velocity is 30 m/s. Find out
the mass of the vehicle.

Soln.

The kinetic energy of the car in motion is certainly Ek = 300,000 J = 30,000 kg

m2/s2. Moreover, the velocity of the car which is v = 30 m/s

Ek = 1/2 mv2

Ek/0.5v2 = m

m = (300,000 kg m2/s2)/[0.5(30m/s)2]

m = (300,000 kg m2/s2/[(0.5) (900)m2/s2]

m = (300,000 kg m2/s2/450 m2/s2

m = 666.666 kg

The kinetic energy definition states it is the energy of motion, so the flowing
water has kinetic energy. Anytime an object is moving, it has kinetic energy.
However, even things that do not appear to be moving can still have kinetic
energy. All atoms and molecules are constantly in motion at the atomic level, even
though they are so small that they can only be observed with very specialized
microscopes. Planets like the Earth are also always in motion, even though the
ground beneath our feet does not appear to be moving. From the smallest atoms to
the biggest stars and galaxies, everything moving has kinetic energy!

Typically, however, when we think about the energy of motion, we think about
objects that move on a more human scale. For example, a train rolling down the
tracks or a person walking on the sidewalk both have kinetic energy because they
are moving.

In contrast, potential energy is stored energy that can be converted into kinetic
energy. For example, when water is at the top of a waterfall, it has potential
energy. This potential energy will be transformed into kinetic energy as the water
begins to fall down. This is the energy that is then transformed again into electrical
energy in a hydroelectric power plant.

Types of Kinetic Energy

Because there are many different types of motion, there are also different types of
kinetic energy.

Translational kinetic energy is the most easily observable form of kinetic energy.
This is the energy of an object that is moving from one place to another, like a car
traveling down a highway or a bowling ball rolling down a lane.

The bowling ball has both translational and rotational kinetic energy as it rolls
down the lane.

Objects that rotate, like a spinning wheel or a merry-go-round, have rotational

kinetic energy. On the other hand, objects that vibrate, like a plucked guitar string,
have vibrational kinetic energy. At a molecular level, the atoms that comprise
matter are also vibrating all the time, and the average vibrational kinetic energy of
all the atoms in an object determines its temperature.

A vibrating guitar string has vibrational kinetic energy.

1J = 1kg⋅(m/s2)2

Kinetic Energy Examples

To understand how to use the kinetic energy formula to calculate the kinetic energy
of a moving object, first think about what is an example of kinetic energy. A
moving car is a great example of an object with kinetic energy. If a 3000 kg car is
moving at a speed of 20 m/s down a road, how much kinetic energy does it have?

To answer this question, use the kinetic energy formula:

KE=1/2mv2

= 1/2(3000kg) (20m/s)2 = 600000JK

Because a car has a lot of mass and is moving pretty fast, it also has a lot of kinetic
energy (600,000J).

What are some other kinetic energy examples? Remember that anything that is
moving, even if it is very small or moving very slowly, has kinetic energy. How
much kinetic energy does an ant have if it is walking at a speed of 1 cm/s?

An ant has a mass of about 4 mg, which is equal to 0.000004 kg. Remember that
when calculating kinetic energy, the mass needs to be measured in kilograms. The
velocity of the ant must also be measured in units of meters/second, so 1 cm/s is
equal to 0.01 m/s.

Once the mass and velocity have been converted into the correct units, the kinetic
energy formula should be used to calculate the ant's kinetic energy.

KE = 1/2mv2

=1/2(0.000004kg) (0.01m/s)2=2x10−10JK

=1/2mv2=1/2(0.000004kg) (0.01m/s)2=2x10−10J

The ant has a lot less kinetic energy than the car, but because both the ant and the
car are moving, they both have kinetic energy.

If a Saturn V rocket with an Apollo spacecraft attached has a combined mass of 2.9
× 105 kg and is to reach a speed of 11.2 km/s, how much kinetic energy will it then
have

Soln.

Convert some units first. (convert Km/s to m/s)

The speed of the rocket will be v = (11.2 km/s) X 103m/ 1km

= 1.12 × 104 m/s.

We know its mass: m = 2.9 × 105 kg.

Using the definition of kinetic energy, we have

KE = 1/2mv2 = 1/2 (2.9 × 105 kg) (1.12 × 104 m/s )2 = 1.8 × 1013 J

The rocket will have 1.8 × 1013 J of kinetic energy.

If an electron (mass m = 9.11 × 10-31 kg) in copper near the lowest possible
temperature has a kinetic energy of 6.7×10−19 J, what is the speed of the electron?

Soln.

Use the definition of kinetic energy,

K = 1/2mv2 and the given values of K and m, and solve for v.

We find: v2 = 2K/m

= 2(6.7 × 10−19 J) / (9.11 × 10−31 kg) = 1.47 × 1012 m2/s2

which gives: v = 1.21 × 106 m/s

The speed of the electron is 1.21 × 106 m/s.

A lump of ice falls from an aeroplane as it comes in to land. If the ice hits the
ground with a vertical speed of 85m/s, what was the height of the plane when the
ice fell off? (Assume that friction can be ignored.)

Soln.

Kinetic energy of the ice as it hits the ground is equal to the initial potential energy
when it fell off the plane.

So Ep = Ek
But Ep = mgh and Ek = 1/2 mv2

So mgh = 1/2 mv2

Cancelling m from both sides

gh = v2/2

2gh = v2

h = v2/2g

= 852/2x10 = 7225/20

= 361.25m The ice fell off the plane when it was at a height of 361.25m.

Linear Momentum and Force

Linear Momentum-The scientific definition of linear momentum is consistent with

most people’s intuitive understanding of momentum: a large, fast-moving object
has greater momentum than a smaller, slower object. Linear momentum is defined
as the product of a system’s mass multiplied by its velocity. In symbols, linear
momentum is expressed as

p = mv.

Momentum is directly proportional to the object’s mass and also its velocity. Thus
the greater an object’s mass or the greater its velocity, the greater its momentum.
Momentum p is a vector having the same direction as the velocity v. The SI unit
for momentum is kg · m/s.

Linear momentum is defined as the product of a system’s mass multiplied by its

velocity: p = mv.

The linear momentum of a particle with mass m moving with velocity v is defined
as

p = mv …………………………………………… (1)
Linear momentum is a vector. When giving the linear momentum of a particle you
must specify its magnitude and direction. We can see from the definition that its
units must be kg.m/s. Oddly enough, this combination of SI units does not have a
commonly–used named so we leave it as kg.m/s!

The momentum of a particle is related to the net force on that particle in a simple
way; since the mass of a particle remains constant, if we take the time derivative of
a particle’s momentum we find

dp/dt = mdv/dt = ma = Fnet

so that

Fnet = dp/dt ………………………………………………. (2)

Impulse, Average Force

When a particle moves freely then interacts with another system for a (brief) period
and then moves freely again, it has a definite change in momentum; we define this
change as the impulse I of the interaction forces:

I = pf − pi = ∆p

Impulse is a vector and has the same units as momentum.

When we integrate Eq. 2

tf

we can show: I = ∫ Fdt = ∆p

ti

We can now define the average force which acts on a particle during a time
interval ∆t. It is:

F = ∆p/∆t = I /∆t

The value of the average force depends on the time interval chosen.
Conservation of Linear Momentum

Linear momentum is a useful quantity for cases where we have a few particles
(objects) which interact with each other but not with the rest of the world. Such a
system is called an isolated system.

We often have reason to study systems where a few particles interact with each
other very briefly, with forces that are strong compared to the other forces in the
world that they may experience. In those situations, and for that brief period of
time, we can treat the particles as if they were isolated.

We can show that when two particles interact only with each other (i.e. they are
isolated) then their total momentum remains constant:

p1i + p2i = p1f + p2f ………………………………………………… (3)

or, in terms of the masses and velocities,

m1v1i + m2v2i = m1v1f + m2v2f ……………………………………… (4)

Or, abbreviating p1 + p2 = P (total momentum), this is: Pi = Pf.

It is important to understand that Eq. 3 is a vector equation; it tells us that the total
x component of the momentum is conserved, and the total y component of the
momentum is conserved.

Collisions

When we talk about a collision in mechanics (between two particles, say) we mean
that two particles are moving freely through space until they get close to one
another; then, for a short period of time they exert strong forces on each other until
they move apart and are again moving freely.
For such an event, the two particles have well-defined momenta p1i and p2i before
the collision event and p1f and p2f afterwards. But the sum of the momenta before
and after the collision is conserved, as written in Eq. 3.

While the total momentum is conserved for a system of isolated colliding particles,
the mechanical energy may or may not be conserved. If the mechanical energy
(usually meaning the total kinetic energy) is the same before and after a collision,
we say that the collision is elastic. Otherwise we say the collision is inelastic.

If two objects collide, stick together, and move off as a combined mass, we call
this a perfectly inelastic collision. One can show that in such a collision more
kinetic energy is lost than if the objects were to bounce off one another and move
off separately.

When two particles undergo an elastic collision then we also know that
1
/2m1v21i + 1/2m2v22i = 1/2m1v21f + 1/2m2v22f.

Types of Collisions

In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.

V1i + V1f = V2f + V2i

m1V1i + m2V2i = m1V1f + m2V2f

In an inelastic collision, momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not

m1V1i + m2V2i = m1V1f + m2V2f

In a completely inelastic collision, momentum is conserved, kinetic energy is not,

and the two objects stick together after the collision, so their final velocities are the
same.

m1V1i + m2V2i = (m1 +m2) Vf

A 3.00 kg particle has a velocity of (3.0i − 4.0j) m/s. Find its x and y components
of momentum and the magnitude of its total momentum.
Soln.

Using the definition of momentum and the given values of m and v,

we have: p = mv = (3.00 kg) (3.0i − 4.0j) m/s = (9.0i − 12.j) kg.m/s