Kinetic Energy

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Energy Noun

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[en-er-jee]

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Energy

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The ability or capacity to do work or to cause a change to occur within a physical system.

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Example: This diagram shows the static parts of an incandescent lamp, which converts electrical energy into light and heat, not the kinetic energy of a moving object.

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Kinetic Energy Noun

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[ki-net-ik en-er-jee]

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Kinetic Energy

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The energy that an object possesses due to its motion, which is dependent on its mass and velocity.

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Example: A soccer ball being kicked is in motion, demonstrating kinetic energy, which is the energy an object has due to its movement.

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Potential Energy Noun

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[po-ten-shul en-er-jee]

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Potential Energy

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The stored energy an object has because of its position, state, or internal configuration relative to other objects.

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Example: A leg pulled back to kick a soccer ball has stored potential energy, which is converted into kinetic energy (the energy of motion) upon kicking.

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Mechanical Energy Noun

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[muh-kan-i-kuhl en-er-jee]

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Mechanical Energy

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The sum of the kinetic energy and potential energy within a system associated with its motion and position.

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Example: A roller coaster cart at the top of a hill has maximum potential energy (PE) and zero kinetic energy (KE). Its total mechanical energy (ME) is the sum of its PE and KE.

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Mass Noun

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[mas]

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Mass

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A measure of the amount of matter in a physical body and its resistance to acceleration when a force is applied.

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Example: This image shows a balance scale comparing a 1-gram weight to an apple, demonstrating that the apple has more mass.

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Velocity Noun

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[vuh-los-i-tee]

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Velocity

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A vector quantity that signifies the rate of change of an object's position, including both its speed and direction.

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Example: This diagram shows the formula for velocity (v) using a triangle, relating it to displacement (d) and time (t) for easy calculation.

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Joule Noun

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[jool]

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Joule

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The standard International System (SI) unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a one-newton force.

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Example: This image shows that a Joule is a unit of energy, calculated here as electrical energy by multiplying power (in Watts) by time (in seconds).

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Work Noun

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[wurk]

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Work

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The transfer of energy that occurs when a force is applied to an object, causing it to move over a distance.

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Example: A person does work by applying a force to push a box, causing it to move. This action transfers energy to the box.

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Work-Energy Theorem Noun

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[wurk en-er-jee thee-uh-rem]

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Work-Energy Theorem

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The principle stating that the net work done on an object is equal to the change in its total kinetic energy.

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Example: This diagram shows that positive work (force in the direction of motion) increases an object's speed, while negative work (force against motion) decreases it.

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Scalar Noun

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[skay-ler]

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Scalar

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A physical quantity that is fully described by its magnitude alone and has no direction, such as mass or speed.

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Example: A speedometer shows speed, a scalar quantity. It measures magnitude (how fast, e.g., 295 km/h) but not the direction of motion.