Knowra Kinetic energy Kinetic energy Kinetic energy is the energy an object has because of its motion. In classical mechanics, it equals half the object's mass multiplied by its speed squared.
Work–energy theorem : The theorem stating that the net work on an object equals its change in kinetic energy. It connects forces acting over distance to changes in motion energy.
Mass : A measure of an object's inertia and its resistance to acceleration. At a fixed speed, greater mass means greater kinetic energy.
Elastic collision : A collision in which total kinetic energy and momentum are conserved. It is a case where motion energy survives the collision unchanged.
Potential energy : Stored energy associated with an object's position, configuration, or state. It contrasts motion-dependent energy with energy stored by configuration.
Classical mechanics : The framework describing the motion of macroscopic objects under forces, usually at speeds far below light speed. The familiar mass-and-speed formula belongs to this framework.
Speed : The rate at which an object's position changes, without specifying direction. Classical kinetic energy grows with the square of speed.
Inelastic collision : A collision in which kinetic energy is not conserved, though total energy and momentum remain conserved. It shows how motion energy can become heat, sound, or deformation during impact.
Thermal energy : The internal energy associated with the microscopic motion and interactions of a system's particles. It distinguishes bulk motion energy from energy distributed among microscopic degrees of freedom.
Reference frame : A coordinate system and clock used to describe positions and motion. An object's speed, and therefore its kinetic energy, depends on the chosen frame.
Velocity : A vector describing an object's rate and direction of motion. Its magnitude supplies the speed used in the classical energy formula.
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