In physics, the kinetic energy of an object is the energy that it possesses due to its motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes. read more
Perhaps the most important property of kinetic energy is its ability to do work. Work is defined as force acting on an object in the direction of motion. Work and energy are so closely related as to be interchangeable. read more
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). read more
Kinetic Energy and the Work Energy Theorem Idea: Force is a vector, work and energy are scalars. Thus, it is often easier to solve problems using energy considerations instead of using Newton's laws (i.e. it is easier to work with scalars than vectors). read more