Science

Kinetic Energy Calculator

Calculate kinetic energy from mass and velocity (KE = ½mv²)

Calculator

kg
m/s
Kinetic Energy
999.6980 J

KE = ½mv² = 0.5 × 10 kg × (14.14 m/s)² = 999.6980 J

Energy in kJ

0.9997

Energy in cal

238.93

Velocity in km/h

50.90

Kinetic Energy Formula

  • KE = ½mv² (Kinetic Energy)
  • m = 2KE / v² (Mass from energy)
  • v = sqrt(2KE / m) (Velocity from energy)
  • 1 Joule = 1 kg×m²/s²
  • 1 cal = 4.184 J

How to Use

Calculate kinetic energy from mass and velocity

1

Enter mass

Input the object's mass in kilograms

2

Enter velocity

Input the velocity in meters per second (or km/h)

3

Get energy

View the kinetic energy in Joules with unit conversions

Kinetic Energy

KE = (1/2) x m x v^2

Kinetic Energy equals half times mass times velocity squared.

Frequently Asked Questions

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. Calculated as KE = half x mass x velocity squared. A moving car, flowing water, or spinning wheel all have kinetic energy. The faster or heavier an object, the more kinetic energy it has.

The velocity squared term means kinetic energy increases dramatically with speed. Doubling velocity quadruples kinetic energy. A car at 60 mph has 4 times the kinetic energy of one at 30 mph. This explains why high-speed crashes are so much more dangerous.

Kinetic energy is measured in Joules (J) in SI units. One Joule equals one kg times m squared per s squared. Other common units include kilojoules (kJ = 1000 J), calories (1 cal is approximately 4.184 J), and electronvolts (1 eV is approximately 1.6x10^-19 J) for particle physics.

Kinetic energy is directly proportional to mass. Doubling the mass doubles the kinetic energy (at constant velocity). A 2000 kg truck at 30 mph has twice the kinetic energy of a 1000 kg car at the same speed.