Calculating the energy of moving objects (KE=1/2mv2)
I can calculate the energy an object has because it is moving.
Calculating the energy of moving objects (KE=1/2mv2)
I can calculate the energy an object has because it is moving.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Energy is measured in joules (J).
- Doubling the mass of a moving object doubles the energy it has in its kinetic store.
- Doubling the speed of an object increases the energy it has in its kinetic store by four times.
- The energy an object has in its kinetic store of energy is found using the equation KE = ½ mv².
Keywords
Work done - Work is done whenever a force makes an object move. The amount of work done is equal to the force multiplied by distance moved in the direction of the force.
Kinetic store - If an object is moving and has a mass, then there is energy in its kinetic store.
Directly proportional to - If two quantities are directly proportional, then as one increases, the other also increases at the same rate.
Kinetic energy - The energy an object has in its kinetic store is referred to as the object’s kinetic energy.
Common misconception
When calculating energy in the kinetic store, pupils often work out ½ mv and then square everything, rather than just the speed.
Scaffold calculations to show how kinetic energy is calculated, taking pupils through how to do this on their calculators without making a mistake.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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