Which term refers to the energy possessed by an object due to its motion?

The term that refers to the energy possessed by an object due to its motion is kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is defined as the energy that an object has because of its movement, and it is directly proportional to the mass of the object and the square of its velocity. The formula for kinetic energy is expressed as KE = 1/2 mv², where m represents mass and v denotes velocity. This means that any moving object, whether it’s a car, a ball thrown in the air, or even particles within a gas, possesses kinetic energy based on how fast it is moving and how much mass it has.

Potential energy, on the other hand, is energy stored within an object due to its position or state, not motion. Mechanical energy encompasses both kinetic and potential energy, representing the total energy of an object in motion and its potential position. Thermal energy relates to the internal energy of an object due to the motion of its particles, which is different from kinetic energy as it focuses more on how heat is generated rather than the motion of large, visible objects. Understanding these distinctions is crucial in differentiating between types of energy in various contexts within physics and earth science.