When work is done the energy is transformed from one type to another. This transformed energy may appear as kinetic energy.
For example, when you pedal your bicycle so that its speed increases, you are doing work to transform chemical energyThe energy stored in a fuel source, such as petrol or diesel. Measured in Joules (J). Eg the car filled up on chemical energy when it went to the garage. from your muscles to the kinetic energy of the bicycle.
kinetic energyEnergy which an object possesses by being in motion. is the energy an object possesses by virtue of its movement. The amount of kinetic energy possessed by a moving object depends on the massThe amount of matter an object contains. Mass is measured in kilograms (kg) or grams (g). of the object and its speedThe distance travelled in a fixed time period, usually one second.. The greater the mass and the speed of the object the greater its kinetic energy.
The kinetic energy Ek of an object of mass \(m\) at a speed \(v\) is given by the relationshipA relationship tells us how two or more variables work together, eg the relationship between resistance, voltage and current is: resistance = voltage ÷ current.
\({E_k} = \frac{1}{2}m{v^2}\)
\(m\) is the mass of the object in kilograms (\(kg\)) and \(v\) is the speed of the object in metres per second (\(m\,s^{-1}\)).