What is Kinetic Energy?
Kinetic energy (KE) is the energy that an item or particle has as a result of its motion in physics. It is defined as the effort required to accelerate a mass-determined body from rest to the indicated velocity.
Potential energy is the energy that an object possesses as a result of its position in relation to other objects. The amount of kinetic energy that a body has depends on its mass and velocity.
A moving object will have more kinetic energy if it has a higher velocity and/or a lower mass. It is also directly proportional to the square of its mass.
An object’s kinetic energy is linearly related to the square of its velocity. The kinetic energy of a rotating object is the energy that it has due to its angular velocity. It is equal to one-half of the object’s moment of inertia times the square of its angular velocity.
What is Potential Energy?
When we think of energy, we think of electricity or gasoline – something that powers our homes and cars. But there’s another type of energy that’s just as important, and it’s called potential energy. Potential energy is stored energy.
Potential energy is important because it can be turned into other types of energy. In order for potential energy to be turned into another type of energy, there must be a force acting on the object. Potential energy is an important part of our world. It’s the energy that keeps us moving and powers our world.
Potential energy is the energy that an object possesses as a result of its location in relation to other objects. The term potential energy is most used in physics, in which it is recognized as a form of energy associated with the force of gravity.
Potential energy is that which an object has due to its position or configuration. It is the energy that is stored in an object and is available to be used.
Difference Between Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy
- Kinetic energy is the energy of motion, whereas potential energy is the energy that has been stored.
- Potential energy can be either gravitational potential energy, which is stored in objects due to their altitude, or chemical potential energy, which is stored in atoms and molecules due to their chemical composition.
- When an object falls, gravitational potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy.
- The amount of kinetic energy depends on the height from which the object falls. The higher the object is, the more potential energy it has, and the more kinetic energy it will have when it hits the ground.
- Chemical potential energy is converted to kinetic energy when a chemical reaction occurs. The amount of kinetic energy depends on the types of atoms and molecules involved in the reaction. The more reactive the atoms and molecules are, the more energy is released.
Comparison Between Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy
| Parameters of Comparison | Kinetic Energy | Potential Energy |
| Definition | The motion of the body or particles | Energy in an object or system because of its configuration |
| Relation to Environment | Kinetic energy is relative to the other moving objects in its environment | Potential energy is not relative to the environment of an object |
| Transferability | Can be transferred into other forms | Cannot be transferred |
| Formula | 1\2 mv2 | mgh |
| Examples | Flowing water such as a waterfall | Water at the top of the waterfall before falling |
References
https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.268501