This kinetic and potential energy worksheet can help you learn about kinetic and potential energy, as well as their relationship with energy. Energy is the ability of any object to do work. These two concepts are intertwined in the energy equation that uses these two concepts.
Kinetic energy is the energy needed to make something move. This is not the same as the speed at which an object moves but it does involve movement. For example, a cat being jostled by someone trying to pick it up does not move more slowly than the cat, but it has more kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is energy in motion.
Kinetic energy is divided into two parts. There is total kinetic energy and there is that part that is directed on a particular direction. If an object has total kinetic energy, then every part of the energy equation does not have the potential energy of this object. This means that the difference between the sum of all the energies and the sum of these energy values is zero. The sum of all the energies is zero because of the limited differences between the sum of all the energies.
Kinetic energy is used for many types of energy conversions. It is used to move things through motion, such as wind or water. It is also used to give weight to objects and movement to objects. It is useful for things like running up and down stairs.
Kinetic energy and potential energy are opposites. Kinetic energy cannot be created nor destroyed. To create kinetic energy you must use an energy source such as sunlight or moving vehicles. However, to destroy kinetic energy, you must use energy sources that will cause the object to have a zero value of kinetic energy. These sources are electric motors, rotary machines, nuclear fission, or laser light.
Kinetic energy is used in order to create motion. Motion is defined as the use of something as a source of motion. The sum of all the forms of motion determines the total kinetic energy of any object.
Kinetic energy is used in the energy equation for each equation that deals with moving objects. The difference between the sum of all these amounts is represented by the sum of potential energy. If the sum of all energy is zero, then the difference between the sum of all the energies is zero. The sum of all the energies is a zero value, so the difference between the sum of all the energies and the sum of these energies is zero.
Kinetic energy is also useful for figuring out how much energy you have. Kinetic energy equals the work done by an object in a Newtonian frame of reference. In non-Newtonian frames of reference, kinetic energy is multiplied by the velocity of the object. This is only applicable if there is no impact to the object, so a zero value of kinetic energy is the same as zero velocity.
