How does kinetic energy change

And for a fourfold increase in speed, the kinetic energy will increase by a factor of sixteen. The kinetic energy is dependent upon the square of the speed.

As it is often said, an equation is not merely a recipe for algebraic problem solving, but also a guide to thinking about the relationship between quantities. Kinetic energy is a scalar quantity ; it does not have a direction.

Unlike velocity , acceleration , force , and momentum , the kinetic energy of an object is completely described by magnitude alone. Like work and potential energy, the standard metric unit of measurement for kinetic energy is the Joule. Use your understanding of kinetic energy to answer the following questions.

Then click the button to view the answers. Determine the kinetic energy of a kg roller coaster car that is moving with a speed of If the roller coaster car in the above problem were moving with twice the speed, then what would be its new kinetic energy?

Missy Diwater, the former platform diver for the Ringling Brother's Circus, had a kinetic energy of 12 J just prior to hitting the bucket of water. Work and Energy. Search for:. Work-Energy Theorem. Learning Objectives Outline the derivation of the work-energy theorem.

Work transfers energy from one place to another or one form to another. In more general systems than the particle system mentioned here, work can change the potential energy of a mechanical device, the heat energy in a thermal system, or the electrical energy in an electrical device. The kinetic energy of an object is the energy it has because of its motion. Note that energy is a scalar quantity, i.

When we double the mass, we double the energy; however, when we double the velocity, energy increases by a factor of four. Perhaps the most important property of kinetic energy is its ability to do work. Work is defined as force acting on an object in the direction of motion.

Work and energy are so closely related as to be interchangeable. If we want to change the kinetic energy of a massive object, we must do work on it. For example, in order to lift a heavy object, we must do work to overcome the force due to gravity and move the object upward. If the object is twice as heavy, it takes twice as much work to lift it the same distance. It also takes twice as much work to lift the same object twice as far.