Kinetic Energy Definition

Definition of Kinetic Energy

Newton's cradle toy
Newton's cradle is a classic toy that shows kinetic and potential energy as well as conservation of energy. Influx Productions/Getty Images
by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated March 06, 2017

Kinetic Energy Definition:

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. An object of mass m moving at velocity v has a kinetic energy equal to ½mv2.

Example: ​

An example of kinetic energy is a swinging pendulum.