Calculate the kinetic energy of any moving object instantly. Uses the classical kinetic energy equation KE = ½mv² — from a tennis ball to a spacecraft.
Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses because of its motion. Any object that is moving — from a rolling marble to a speeding rocket — has kinetic energy. The faster it moves and the more massive it is, the more kinetic energy it carries.
Notice that velocity is squared in the formula. This means if you double the speed of an object, its kinetic energy increases by a factor of four. But if you double the mass, the kinetic energy only doubles. This is why car crashes at high speed are so much more destructive than at low speed.
Kinetic energy is measured in Joules (J) in the SI system. Large values are often expressed in kilojoules (kJ) or megajoules (MJ). In nuclear and particle physics, electron volts (eV) are used instead.