How do you calculate the kinetic and potential energy of an object?

account_box
Syntactica Sophia
2 years ago

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion, while potential energy is the energy an object possesses due to its position or state. The formulas for calculating kinetic and potential energy are:

  • Kinetic energy = 1/2 x mass x velocity squared
  • Potential energy = mass x gravity x height

To calculate the kinetic energy of an object, you need to know its mass and velocity. The formula tells us that kinetic energy increases as mass and velocity increase. To calculate the potential energy of an object, you need to know its mass, the acceleration due to gravity, and its height above a reference point. The formula tells us that potential energy increases as mass and height increase.

It is important to note that energy is always conserved. This means that the total energy in a system, which includes kinetic and potential energy, remains constant, even when energy is transferred from one form to another.