kinetic energy

kinetic energy The energy possessed by a body by virtue of its motion in space. It is equivalent to the work that would be done if the moving body were brought to rest. When the speed of a body is much less than the speed of light, kinetic energy is equal to ½mv², where m is the mass of the body and v is its velocity. A rotating body has kinetic energy ½I ω², where I is its moment of inertia and ω is its angular velocity.

kinetic energy (symbol K) Energy that an object possesses because it is in motion. It is the energy given to an object to set it in motion; it depends on the mass (m) of the object and its velocity (v), according to the equation K = 1/2 mv². On impact, it is converted into other forms of energy such as heat, sound and light. See also potential energy