How is kinetic energy defined?

Kinetic energy is defined as the energy that an object possesses due to its motion. The key factor in understanding kinetic energy is that it is directly related to the mass of the object and the square of its velocity. This means that the faster an object moves or the more massive it is, the greater its kinetic energy.

When an object is in motion, it can do work on other objects, such as when a moving car hits an obstacle, transferring energy to that obstacle. Therefore, this understanding of kinetic energy is crucial in various fields, from physics to engineering, and it helps to explain many phenomena we observe in the natural world, including the motion of vehicles, the flight of a ball, and other similar actions.