Science, Technology,

Engineering, and Mathematics

General
LESSON 2.3
Physics 1
❑ Mechanical Energy
 ENERGY

Mechanical Energy– is the energy that is

possessed by an object due to its motion or due to
its position.

Mechanical Energy

Potential Energy Kinetic Energy

 Learning Objectives

1. Define kinetic energy.

2. Given the mass and speed of an object,
calculate its kinetic energy.
3. Relate the work done by a constant force to
the change in the kinetic energy of a system.
4. Apply the work-energy theorem to solve
problems.
 ENERGY

Kinetic Energy
- the energy acquired by an object due to its
motion.
- The word “kinetic” comes from the Greek word
kinetikos, which means “motion.”
- energy of motion

An object that has motion, whether it is vertical or

horizontal motion, has kinetic energy.
EXAMPLES OF KINETIC ENERGY

Adapted from: https://www.sciencefacts.net/kinetic-

energy.html
 FORMS OF KINETIC ENERGY

Vibrational Kinetic Energy

- the energy due to vibrational motion.
- A vibrating object has kinetic energy.
Rotational Kinetic Energy
- The energy due to rotational motion.
- An object rotating about its axis has kinetic
energy.
Translational Kinetic Energy
- The energy due to motion from one location to
another.
 DERIVATION KINETIC ENERGY
FORMULA
The simplest result of work is kinetic energy. If you
have a stationary object and you push it with some
force over a distance, then it is moving and thus has
kinetic energy.
Suppose you push a baseball of mass m with force
F over distance d.
The work done would be 𝑊 = 𝐹𝑑. We know from
our previous mechanics that F=ma. If it started
from rest and accelerated from only this force, then
1
the distance it went is 𝑑 = 2 𝑎𝑡 2 .
 DERIVATION KINETIC ENERGY
FORMULA
This tells us that the work done is:
𝑊 = 𝐹𝑑
1 2
𝑊 = (𝑚𝑎) 𝑎𝑡
2
1
𝑊 = 𝑚 𝑎𝑡 2
2
𝒗 = 𝒂𝒕
1
𝑊= 𝑚 𝑣 2
2
 DERIVATION KINETIC ENERGY
FORMULA
This tells us that the work done is:
1
𝑊= 𝑚 𝑣 2
2
1
𝑊 = 𝑚𝑣 2
2

𝟏
𝑲 = 𝒎𝒗𝟐
𝟐
 DERIVATION KINETIC ENERGY
FORMULA
This expression is true for all kinetic energy,
regardless of how it was accelerated. Kinetic energy
is denoted by K and is found by the standard
formula:
𝟏
𝑲 = 𝒎𝒗𝟐
𝟐
This equation reveals that the kinetic energy of an
object is directly proportional to its mass and to
the square of its velocity.
 DERIVATION KINETIC ENERGY
FORMULA
𝟏
𝑲 = 𝒎𝒗𝟐
𝟐
That means that an object with a higher mass will
have higher kinetic energy. Similarly, increasing
velocity increases kinetic energy.
The kinetic energy is dependent upon the square of
the velocity. That means, that for a twofold increase
in velocity, the kinetic energy will increase by a
factor of four.
 Check Your Understanding!

Sample Problem 1:
What is the kinetic energy of a 625-kg roller coaster
car that is moving with a speed of 18.3 m/s?
Given: Solution:
m = 625 kg 1
𝐾 = 2 𝑚𝑣 2
v = 18.3 m/s 1
𝐾 = 625 kg 18.3 m/s 2
Unknown: K = ? 2
𝟏
Formula: 𝑲 = 𝟐 𝒎𝒗𝟐 K = 104,653.13 J
 Check Your Understanding!

Sample Problem 2:
Calculate the mass of an object moving at 25 m/s
with a kinetic energy of 1500 J.
Given: Solution:
v = 25 m/s 2𝐾
𝑚 = 𝑣2
K = 1500 J 2 1500 𝐽
Unknown: m = ? 𝑚= 25 𝑚/𝑠 2
2𝐾
Formula: 𝑚 = 𝑣 2
m = 4.8 kg
 DERIVATION OF WORK-ENERGY
THEOREM
Consider a body with mass m moving in a straight
line with initial speed 𝑣1 . Suppose a constant net
force F is exerted to it parallel to the direction of its
motion over a distance d . It will accelerate
uniformly to a speed 𝑣2 . The net work done by this
force is
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑑
 DERIVATION OF WORK-ENERGY
THEOREM
Using Newton’s second law 𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑚𝑎 and UAM Eq. 3, 𝑑 =
𝑣22 −𝑣12
, the net work done on the box is
2𝑎
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑑

𝑣22 − 𝑣12
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑚𝑎
2𝑎
𝑣22 − 𝑣12
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑚
2
1 2
1
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑚𝑣2 − 𝑚𝑣12
2 2
 DERIVATION OF WORK-ENERGY
THEOREM
1 2
1
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑚𝑣2 − 𝑚𝑣12
2 2
Using this equation, we can also rewrite the equation for
the net work done on the object as follows:
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝐾2 − 𝐾1
𝑾𝒏𝒆𝒕 = ∆𝑲
This equation is known as work-energy theorem, which
states that
“The net work done on a body is equal to the change
in its kinetic energy.”
 DERIVATION OF WORK-ENERGY
THEOREM
Suppose a net force is applied to accelerate a body
from rest to its final kinetic energy. The work done on the
body is then 𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝐾2 − 0.
Therefore, 𝑊 = 𝐾. This gives the physical meaning of
kinetic energy: “the kinetic energy of a body is equal to the
total work done to accelerate it from rest to its present
speed.”
Because of the direct relation between energy and
work, energy is measure in the same unit as work. Hence
the SI unit for kinetic energy is also the joule.
 Check Your Understanding!
Sample Problem 3:
A 1500-kg jeepney is cruising at a speed of 30 m/s.
The driver suddenly steps on the brake. The jeepney
slides on the road until it comes to a stop.
a) What is the kinetic energy of the jeepney at the
moment the driver stepped on the brake pedal?
b) How much work was done by friction to slow
down the jeepney to a stop?
c) Suppose the road has exerted a frictional force of
135 kN, how far did the jeepney move before
coming to a stop?
 Check Your Understanding!
Sample Problem 3:
A 1500-kg jeepney is cruising at a speed of 30 m/s.
The driver suddenly steps on the brake. The jeepney
slides on the road until it comes to a stop.
a) What is the kinetic energy of the jeepney at the
moment the driver stepped on the brake pedal?
1
𝐾 = 𝑚𝑣 2
2
1
𝐾 = 1500 𝑘𝑔 30 m/s 2
2
𝑲 = 𝟔𝟕𝟓, 𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝑱
 Check Your Understanding!
Sample Problem 3:
A 1500-kg jeepney is cruising at a speed of 30 m/s.
The driver suddenly steps on the brake. The jeepney
slides on the road until it comes to a stop.
b) How much work was done by friction to slow
down the jeepney to a stop?

First, note that as the jeepney slides on the road,

the only force that acts on it is friction. We can use
the work-energy theorem to find the work done by
friction to slow down the jeepney until it stops.
 Check Your Understanding!
b) How much work was done by friction to slow
down the jeepney to a stop?

Its initial kinetic energy is 𝐾1 = 675,000 𝐽. Because

the jeepney eventually stopped moving, its final
kinetic energy is zero, 𝐾2 = 0.
𝑾 = ∆𝑲
𝑊 = 𝐾2 − 𝐾1
𝑊 = 0 − 675,000 𝐽
𝑾 = −𝟔𝟕𝟓, 𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝑱
 Check Your Understanding!
Sample Problem 3:
A 1500-kg jeepney is cruising at a speed of 30 m/s.
The driver suddenly steps on the brake. The jeepney
slides on the road until it comes to a stop.
c) Suppose the road has exerted a frictional force of
135 kN, how far did the jeepney move before
coming to a stop?
𝑾 = 𝑭𝒅𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽
𝑾
𝒅=
𝑭𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽
 Check Your Understanding!
c) Suppose the road has exerted a frictional force of
135 kN, how far did the jeepney move before
coming to a stop?
𝑾
𝒅=
𝑭𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽

−675 000 𝐽
𝑑=
135 000 𝑁 𝑐𝑜𝑠 180°

𝒅=𝟓𝒎
 KINETIC ENERGY

Problem Set # 2.3: Kinetic Energy and Work-Energy

Theorem

1. What is the kinetic energy of a 3-kilogram ball that is rolling

at 2 meters per second?
2. An 8.0-kilogram cart accelerates from 2.0 meters per second
to 4.0 meters per second. What is the amount of work done?
3. A 5000-kg car is moving at 10 m/s. When the driver steps on
the brakes, the car continues to move a distance of 1.2 m
until it eventually stops. What is the amount of friction that
the road exerted on the car.