Kinetic Energy Calculator

Energy of a moving object: KE = ½mv².

Kinetic Energy Calculator

Worked example result
Kinetic energy9.0000 J
Kinetic energy0.00000250 kWh

A 2 kg object moving at 3 m/s has exactly 9 J of kinetic energy.

Kinetic energy is the energy an object has because it is moving. It depends on the mass and, much more strongly, on the speed — doubling the speed quadruples the energy.

Enter mass in kilograms and velocity in metres per second. The result is in joules, with a kilowatt-hour equivalent for comparison with electricity units.

The formula

KE = ½ × m × v²

Worked example

A 2 kg object moving at 3 m/s has exactly 9 J of kinetic energy.

The example is pre-loaded in the result panel — press Calculate with your own numbers to replace it.

Frequently asked questions

Why does speed matter more than mass?

Velocity is squared in the formula. Doubling mass doubles KE, but doubling speed multiplies KE by four — which is why braking distances grow so quickly with speed.

How many joules are in a kilowatt-hour?

Exactly 3,600,000 J (1 kW for 3,600 seconds). Everyday kinetic energies are tiny fractions of a kWh.

Category: Science calculators