Kinetic Energy Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the kinetic energy calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

Use the Kinetic Energy Calculator

Formulas Used

Kinetic Energy

kinetic_energy = 0.5 * mass * pow(velocity, 2)

Kinetic Energy (kJ)

kinetic_energy_kj = 0.5 * mass * pow(velocity, 2) / 1000

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
massMass(kg)70
velocityVelocity(m/s)10

How It Works

Kinetic Energy

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion.

Formula

KE = (1/2) * m * v²

Because velocity is squared, doubling speed quadruples kinetic energy.

Worked Example

A 70 kg sprinter runs at 10 m/s.

mass = 70velocity = 10
  1. 01KE = 0.5 * m * v²
  2. 02KE = 0.5 * 70 * 10²
  3. 03KE = 0.5 * 70 * 100
  4. 04KE = 3500 J = 3.5 kJ

Ready to run the numbers?

Open Kinetic Energy Calculator