Energy is the ability to do work. The unit of energy is the joule the same unit as work. There are two major categories of energy in classical mechanics, kinetic and potential energy.
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. An object in motion is capable of doing work. Kinetic energy is ½ mass times velocity squared or:
Certainly you can imagine that Tony Boselli (lineman for the Jaguars) running has energy. Tony weighs twice what I weigh. If Tony and I were running along at the same speed, he would have twice the energy of me. For us to have the same energy, I would only need to need to run not twice as fast but 1.4 times as fast (the square root of 2.)
How much energy does Tony Boselli (320lbs, 145 kg) have running at 4.00 m/s (9 miles per hour)?
