What is Kinetic: Definition and 1000 Discussions

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. The same amount of work is done by the body when decelerating from its current speed to a state of rest.
In classical mechanics, the kinetic energy of a non-rotating object of mass m traveling at a speed v is










1
2


m

v

2









{\displaystyle {\begin{smallmatrix}{\frac {1}{2}}mv^{2}\end{smallmatrix}}}
. In relativistic mechanics, this is a good approximation only when v is much less than the speed of light.
The standard unit of kinetic energy is the joule, while the English unit of kinetic energy is the foot-pound.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. C

    How can i find the coefficient of kinetic friction?

    Homework Statement I know incline is 16 degrees I know distance traveled is 2.85 meters I know Vf is 2.71 meters/second I calculated the meu static and got .287 Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution Tried every thing so lost
  2. K

    Finding average angle in kinetic theory of gases

    Homework Statement "Show that particles hitting a plane boundary have traveled a distance 2λ/3 perpendicular to the plane since their last collision, on average."Homework Equations (Root mean path squared) <x> = 2^(.5)λ λ = ( 2^(.5) * n * sigma )^(-1) ANSWER: The Attempt at a Solution...
  3. H

    Total Kinetic Energy: Moment of Inertia & CM Axis

    K = Ktranslational + Krotational My book says that in order for this equation to be valid the moment of inertia must be taken about an axis through the center of mass. Why is this true?
  4. H

    Kinetic friction and lost mechanical energy

    An Object slides with a consistent velocity down an incline that has a 30 degree angle. I'm trying to find the kinetic friction and the ratio that the mechanical energy is lost on the way down. I think I have already calculated µ with F(friction)= µmgcos(θ)=mgsin(θ) out comes Tan(θ) = µ I...
  5. S

    How Does Removing High Energy Atoms Affect Temperature and Pressure in a Gas?

    Homework Statement Helium gas with T1 = 500K and P1 = 0.02MPa in a rigid container with volume V = 1 cm^3. Then Helium goes through a process where atoms with kinetic energies greater than kB*T1, where kB is Boltzmann constant, are instantaneously removed from the container. Atoms remaining...
  6. irre1evantt

    Relativistic Kinetic energy, momentum, speed.

    Homework Statement An Electron (rest mass=9.11*10^-31kg) is accelerated to an energy (mass energy+kinetic energy) of 30*10^6 eV (30 MeV). What is its kinetic energy? Its momentum? Its speed? (Note: 1 eV = 1.602*10^-19 Joules; c=2.998 * 10^8 ms^-1) Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution...
  7. D

    How to find final kinetic energy for a charged particle

    Homework Statement An alpha particle (helium nucleus, charge +2e) starts from rest and travels a distance of 2.5 cm under the influence of a uniform electric field of magnitude 12.5 kV/m. What is the final kinetic energy of the alpha particle? Homework Equations U = 1/2 QV = 1/2 C(V^2) =...
  8. R

    Finding Coefficient of Kinetic Friction

    Homework Statement See, I was collecting data for a lab, and now when I look it at, I'm being asked to find the kinetic friction force and the coefficient of friction. What I was given was: the mass of the block: .261 kg gravity: 9.81 m/s2 the acceleration: -7.3125 m/s2 And that's it. If it...
  9. P

    Discover the Fascinating Mechanism of Self-Charging Kinetic Watches

    hello! how is it called the mechanism that makes watches self-charged by the movements of the wrist? where can I find more info about this? thanks!
  10. Tyrannosaurus_

    Is my interpretation good? simple Kinetic E problem

    Homework Statement A cat is chasing a mouse in a straight line. The cat's mass, mc, = 5.0kg. The mouse's mass, mm, is 0.035kg. Problem 1. If the kinetic energy of the cat is 100 times the kinetic energy of the mouse can the cat catch the mouse? Problem 2. If the cat and the mouse have the...
  11. S

    Confused about kinetic energy

    The equation for kinetic energy is: k = 1/2*m*v2 This confuses me because this indicates it take more and more energy to accelerate... Lets imagine a rocket in space (assume the mass of the rocket stays the same when accelerating) - the formula suggests it would take more energy (therefore...
  12. Tyrannosaurus_

    Kinetic energy & speed in a pursuit - Ek possible to find?

    Homework Statement A cat is chasing a mouse in a straight line. The cat's mass, mc, = 5.0kg. The mouse's mass, mm, is 0.035kg. Problem 1. If the kinetic energy of the cat is 100 times the kinetic energy of the mouse can the cat catch the mouse? Problem 2. If the cat and the mouse have the...
  13. K

    What is the kinetic friction coefficient?

    Homework Statement A skier is sliding down a 20o slope at constant speed, what is the kinetic friction coefficient? Homework Equations E = 1/2 mv2 W = Fd F = ma F = μN = μmg The Attempt at a Solution Attempted to use ma = μmgsin20, which crosses out the masses since mass was not given, but...
  14. Q

    Finding kinetic energy consevered after collision

    Homework Statement 2 cars of equal mass and traveling in opposite directions on a wet and slippery road collide and lock together after impact. Neither car brakes before the collision. The tangled wreck moves off in an easterly direction at 5 m/s immediately after the collision. if one car was...
  15. 2

    Why is kinetic energy due to a planet's rotation treated as negative?

    Homework Statement I am trying to answer the following question: Among the animals that appear in the zoo of the Universe there are black holes and neutron stars. The mass of each of these is often the order of the mass of the Sun. The radius of a neutron star is about 10 km and a certain...
  16. Y

    Physics Gravity Problem and Kinetic Friction

    Two astronauts are trying to figure out the mass of Mercury and the mass of Neptune. The astronauts decide to hit a 142 g ball with a bat on each planet and see how far it goes. They know the radius of mercury is 2,440 km and the radius of Neptune is 24,622 km. On mercury one astronaut hits the...
  17. B

    Avg. Kinetic Energy: Neon Ratio @ Diff. Temps

    Homework Statement What is the ratio of the average speed of an atom of neon to another atom of neon at twice the temperature but the same pressure? Homework Equations KE = 3/2 RT; v1/v2 = sqrt. m2/sqrt. m1 The Attempt at a Solution I first used KE = 3/2RT and substituted 1 and 2 for T and...
  18. A

    Relativity and kinetic energy, mass-energy systems

    Homework Statement An object with mass of 900 kg Is moving at a speed of 0.85c when it collides with an object at rest with mass of 1400 kgs. Find the speed and mass of the composite object. Homework Equations mc^2/gamma +mc^2/ gamma=Mc^2 The Attempt at a Solution My issue is that I am not...
  19. Suraj M

    Escape velocity and kinetic theory

    Homework Statement imagine a planet with half the mass and half the radius of Earth ..with temperature reaching 800K k=1.38×10-23 mass of O₂ = 5.3×10-26 does the planet have O₂ or not? Homework Equations ½mv² = ½kT or ½mv² = kT or ½mv²= 3/2 kT either only vertical or anything other than...
  20. P

    Calculating the Initial Kinetic Energy & Momentum of a Truck

    Homework Statement A truck is initially moving at velocity v. The driver presses the brake in order to slow the truck to a stop. The brake applies a constant force F to the truck. The truck rolls a distance x before coming to a stop, and the time it takes to stop is t. 8. Which of the following...
  21. O

    Rotational kinetic energy(flywheel) problem

    Homework Statement You have been assigned the task of designing a flywheel capable of storing the translational kinetic energy of a 600 kg car traveling at 100 km/hr. The flywheel is to be manufactured out of steel and the maximum rotational speed is 12,000 rpm. a. Assuming that the flywheel is...
  22. StonedPhysicist

    Firing a bullet into a bock suspended by a string Help

    Hey guys apparently the answer to this is 491 m/s, but i keep getting 34m/s by using a method whereby i find out the height reached by the block then using kinetic energy to potential energy... doesn't seem to work tho! Please help! A 50.0 g bullet is fired into a stationary 10.0 kg block...
  23. E

    What is the force needed to stop an 8,000lb tractor moving at 5mph in one foot?

    I have a situation where I need to figure how much force it will take to stop an 8,000lb tractormoving at a max speed of 5mph in somewhere around a foot. It will not be an impact stop as there is nothing for it to hit but rather a heavy brake stop. It has been quite some time since I have dealt...
  24. C

    Expressing kinetic energy as sum of vector and tensor terms

    Homework Statement A system of N particles described by the vector coordinates ##\mathbf{r}_k, k = 1,2, \dots, N ## subject to 3N - f constraints can be expressed in terms of generalised coordinates ##q_i, i=1,2, \dots, f## by ##\mathbf{r}_k = \mathbf{r}_k(q_1, q_2, \dots, q_f, t)## a) Prove...
  25. M

    What is the Best Kinetic Theory Book?

    Hello everyone, i was looking for suggestions on the beat book in the topic of kinetic theory, i need a book with deep explanation and covers everything from A to Z. I would appreciate it if someone could post a link for their suggestion on amazon or something. thanks in Advance.
  26. G

    Answer Work & Kinetic Energy for Mass m Whirling on Table

    Homework Statement Mass m whirls on a frictionless table, held to a circular motion by a string which passes through a hole in the table. The string is slowly pulled through the hole so that the radius of the circle changes from ##l_1## to ## l_2## Show that the work done in pulling the string...
  27. S

    Kinetic equilibrium of chemical reaction

    I was thinking about this: Let's consider a dissociation of some chemical that can run in both directions: AB\rightleftharpoons A^{+}+B^{-} Dissociated form is soluble in a solvent and undissociated form is not - it precipitates. Then the reaction proceeds to the left much faster than to the...
  28. Robsta

    Kinetic Theory Speed distribution (general form)

    Homework Statement A molecule has a velocity v and speed v. I've worked out (and understand) that the number of molecules in a gas with speeds between v and v+dv and moving at angles between Ө and Ө+dӨ to any chosen axis is: (1/2)nf(v)dvsin(Ө)dӨ The internet verifies this. f(v) is the speed...
  29. AdityaDev

    Does Zero Linear Momentum Always Mean Zero Kinetic Energy?

    "if kinetic energy of system of particles is zero, then linear momentum of that system of particles is zero but the reverse is not true. That is if linear momentum of a system of particles is zero, then the kinetic energy may not be zero" This is what I got from my text. Can you provide me with...
  30. Q

    Physics Problem with Spring Constant and Kinetic Friction

    Homework Statement A person attaches a spring to an cubic object that weighs 36kg and pulls this object along a table made of material X horizontally with a steady speed of 1.3m/s. The spring stretches a distance of 3.4cm. Find the ratio of the spring constant to the kinetic friction...
  31. Y

    How is Schrage's kinetic limit equation useful?

    The kinetic limited mass flux due to evaporation at the liquid–vapor interface surrounded by an air– vapor mixture is given as: mass flux = 2σ/(2-σ) *(M/2piRT)^0.5 * (Pv,eq -Pv) where Pv,eq is the saturated vapor pressure of liquid and Pv is the partial pressure of vapor in the gas phase very...
  32. D

    Coefficient of kinetic friction between a car and the road

    Homework Statement Just found this site ,looks really helpful , so i am doing some revision using past exam papers and have a few head scratches you guys maybe able to help with . A car of mass 1000 kg is traveling at a speed of 25 m/s when it applies its brakes suddenly. The car immediately...
  33. G

    Temperature, Kinetic Energy, Boltzmann Factors, and SHO

    I am confused about the following; where am I going wrong here? 1. (1/2)kT is defined as the average kinetic energy of the molecules of a substance at temperature T, right? 2. You can derive the Boltzmann distribution/Boltzmann factors using (1/2)kT as the kinetic energy, making an argument...
  34. Ahmad Kishki

    Kinetic energy in quantum mechanics

    Given psi as function of x^2, and the potential energy as function of x, find the kinetic energy. My reasoning: KE=P^2/2m and use the momentum operator. My professor's reasoning: Calculate the hamiltonian operator and subtract the potential energy then divide by psi. Note: I talked to my...
  35. Ganesh Ujwal

    How was the formula for kinetic energy found?

    How was the formula for kinetic energy found, and who found it? My questions mostly concern the history of physics. Who found the formula for kinetic energy ##E_k =\frac{1}{2}mv^{2}## and how was this formula actually discovered? I've recently watched Leonard Susskind's lecture where he proves...
  36. B

    Does object lose kinetic energy due to emitting gravitational waves?

    I always thought when there is no force acting on an object it moves at constant speed but every object that moves generates gravitational waves what causes that object to lose energy. Does it mean that object loses kinetic energy and slows down and after some (very long) time will stop.
  37. I

    Finding horizontal force using mass and static friction?

    Homework Statement There is a box that has a mass of 30 kg. The coefficient of the static friction is 0.75. Find the horizontal force. Homework Equations Fs=muFn F=ma The Attempt at a Solution Fs=(.75)(.98)(.30)=.2205 N That is probably way off... I am very confused right now. Could someone...
  38. T

    How does kinetic energy change in circular motion?

    Could someone explain to me how the kinetic energy of a body moving in a circle is like? I got tempted it stays constant as the speed is constant but that turned out to be false. I am interested in places where the body is at top, side and bottom and so on. So I'd like to also know what the KE...
  39. G

    Equate Kinetic Friction to Rotational Energy?

    Homework Statement So a car owner wants to change his current tires and rims to a wider set of tires and rims for increased handling ability. However, the owner does not want to lose any acceleration performance due to the increased friction of having wider tires. To combat this, the owner...
  40. freddie_mclair

    Relativistic kinetic energy derivation (from Work expended)

    Hi, I'm trying to get the relativistic kinetic energy, ## T ##, from the work expended, ## W ##, (assuming that the body is at rest initially) and I'm doing it like this (in 1D): \begin{equation} W = T = \int F ds = m \int \frac{d(\gamma u)}{dt}u dt = m\int u d(\gamma u) \end{equation} Where...
  41. R

    Solving kinetic energy of reaction's products

    Homework Statement This is my first thread in this forum, please forgive me if I made any mistake on posting. Homework Equations I am having difficulty on solving the Problem 5. The Attempt at a Solution The answer I obtained is 1.5MeV, is it correct ?
  42. ZARATHUSTRA

    A question about Momentum and kinetic energy.

    this question is from the book AP Physics C A mass m1 initially moving at a speed v0 collides with and sticks to a spring attached to a second, initially stationary mass m2. the two masses continue to move to the right on a frictionless surface as the length of the spring oscillates...
  43. P

    Tension problem, finding acceleration with kinetic friction

    Three blocks are connected as shown in the uploaded picture. The strings and friction-less pulleys have negligible masses, and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the 2.0 kg block and the table is 0.17. What is the acceleration of the 2.0 kg block? Homework Equations ∑F = ma The...
  44. K

    How Do You Calculate the Kinetic Energy of a Moving Body?

    Homework Statement A body, which has mass of m = 1 kg , is dropped with a horizontal speed of vo = 20 m/s . What is its kinetic energy after 4 s ? Homework Equations Ek = mv2/2 s = vot + gt2/2 The Attempt at a Solution Is it correct? P. S. There is a mistake: Ek = 3200 J
  45. M

    Kinetic Energy & Velocity: What's the Connection?

    Homework Statement Is the velocity in the kinetic energy=1/2mv2 average velocity or final velocity?
  46. D

    Kinetic energy and direction of rotation

    Hi, I would like to study these two cases: Case A 1/ I turn counterclockwise the ring at w2, this need the energy \frac{1}{2}mr^2w_2^2 with m the mass of the ring 2/ I turn the ring with arm clockwise at w1, this need the energy \frac{1}{2}md^2w_1^2 with d the length of the arm 3/ I eject...
  47. S

    Calculate elasticity of collision from kinetic energy loss?

    Homework Statement After a lot of searching I can't seem to find a way to solve this. Basically, for a bouncing ball, if I know the dropped height and rebound height in a vacuum. How do I calculate the elasticity between the ball and the floor? Homework Equations K = 1/2 mv2 The Attempt at a...
  48. grandpa2390

    The kinetic energy formula for lagrange doesnt make sense

    Homework Statement This is a real basic question I am sure. Maybe I just missed something. so in the book, t = the kinetic energy . only for a pendulum, they add kinetic energy of x dot squared, plus kinetic energy of y dot squared. Homework Equations T = 1/2 m v^2 a^2 + b^2 = c^2 The Attempt...
  49. N

    Calculate kinetic energy transferred

    Homework Statement http://i.imgur.com/hiNHMZZ.jpg - I am struggling with the right-hand page, questions b i, b ii and b iii. I am not sure how to calculate the total amount of kinetic energy transferred to the fluid when given the mass before and after the experiment? Homework Equations EK =...
  50. R

    Finding Initial Speed given Kinetic Friction, Mass, and more

    Hi, I'm new here and I'm having trouble with a question. 1. Homework Statement A 20.0-kg curling stone is released at the hog line and moves 28.35 m [W] to sit on the button and score a point. If the coefficient of kinetic friction between the stone and the ice is 0.00200, what was the...
Back
Top