what is kinetic energy

Kinetic energy is the energy an object has due to its motion. It is a fundamental concept in physics that quantifies the work performed by an object due to its motion. Kinetic energy depends on both the mass and speed of an object. The kind of motion may be translation (motion along a path from one place to another), rotation about an axis, vibration, or any combination of motions. The unit of energy in the meter-kilogram-second system is the joule. The following equation is used to represent the kinetic energy (KE) of an object: KE = 0.5 • m • v^2, where m is the mass of the object and v is the speed of the object. Kinetic energy is a scalar quantity, meaning it is solely described by its magnitude and does not have a directional component.