What is the formula for kinetic energy?

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Multiple Choice

What is the formula for kinetic energy?

Explanation:
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion, and it depends on both how heavy something is and how fast it’s moving. The standard formula is KE = 1/2 m v^2, where m is mass and v is speed. The v is squared, so energy grows quickly as speed increases—doubling the speed makes the kinetic energy go up by a factor of four. The units work out to joules (kg·m^2/s^2). The other ideas shown represent different things: m g h is gravitational potential energy, which is energy due to height; m v would be momentum, not energy. If you know momentum p, you can also write KE as p^2/(2m), which comes from p = m v. But the simplest and most direct form for moving objects is KE = 1/2 m v^2.

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion, and it depends on both how heavy something is and how fast it’s moving. The standard formula is KE = 1/2 m v^2, where m is mass and v is speed. The v is squared, so energy grows quickly as speed increases—doubling the speed makes the kinetic energy go up by a factor of four. The units work out to joules (kg·m^2/s^2). The other ideas shown represent different things: m g h is gravitational potential energy, which is energy due to height; m v would be momentum, not energy. If you know momentum p, you can also write KE as p^2/(2m), which comes from p = m v. But the simplest and most direct form for moving objects is KE = 1/2 m v^2.

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