Kinetic Energy Calculator
Calculate the kinetic energy of a moving object in joules and kWh.
Results
Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. It scales linearly with mass but quadratically with velocity - doubling the speed quadruples the energy. This calculator is useful for physics problems, vehicle crash analysis, ballistics and any situation where you need to know how much energy a moving object carries.
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Frequently asked questions
KE = 0.5 × 1 × 10² = 50 joules. That is enough energy to lift a 5 kg weight about 1 meter.
Doubling speed quadruples kinetic energy because KE depends on velocity squared. A 1 kg object at 20 m/s has 200 J - four times the 50 J it had at 10 m/s.
A 1500 kg car at 30 m/s (67 mph) has KE = 0.5 × 1500 × 900 = 675,000 joules or 675 kJ. That is equivalent to dropping it from 46 meters.
Divide joules by 3,600,000. 675,000 J = 0.1875 kWh. One kWh equals 3.6 million joules.
Stopping distance depends on kinetic energy, which quadruples when speed doubles. A car at 60 mph needs 4 times the stopping distance of one at 30 mph - about 180 feet vs 45 feet.