What best defines kinetic energy?

Kinetic energy is defined as the energy that an object possesses due to its motion. This means that any object that is moving—be it a car, a ball thrown in the air, or a flowing river—has kinetic energy. The amount of kinetic energy an object has depends on its mass and the square of its velocity, which can be expressed mathematically as ( KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 ), where ( KE ) is the kinetic energy, ( m ) is the mass of the object, and ( v ) is its velocity.

This definition emphasizes that only the movement of the object contributes to its kinetic energy, making it distinct from other energy forms like potential energy, which is related to the object's position or configuration, or thermal energy, which relates to the motion of particles within an object. Understanding kinetic energy is essential in areas such as physics and engineering, as it plays a critical role in the dynamics of moving objects.