Kinetic energy () is the energy possessed by an object due to its motion. In mechanical engineering, kinetic energy is a fundamental concept used to describe the energy associated with moving objects. This means that an increase in velocity results in a larger increase in kinetic energy compared to an increase in mass. Conversely, decreasing the velocity or mass reduces the kinetic energy of the object. It is calculated using the formula:
Where:
- is the kinetic energy (in joules, J).
- is the mass of the object (in kilograms, kg).
- is the velocity of the object (in meters per second, m/s).