Kinetic Energy
The scalar energy an object possesses by virtue of its motion, proportional to its mass and the square of its speed.
Governing formula
KE = ½ m v²
SI unit
J
In depth
Because kinetic energy scales quadratically with speed (v²), doubling an object's velocity quadruples its kinetic energy and required braking distance.
Examples in the real world
A vehicle traveling at 100 km/h has four times the kinetic energy of the same vehicle traveling at 50 km/h.