Mechanics

Free online mechanics lesson for elementary school,  middle school and high school.

 

Gravity

Translational kinetic energy

1) What is translational motion ?

If an object is as small as a point ( it has only one dimension ), it always has translational motion
As for other objects, they have a translational motion if each of their points:
- move at the same speed.
- move in the same direction.
For simplification we can say that an object has a translational motion if it doesn't rotate.

2) kinetic energy formula

Translational kinetic energy ( KE ) depends on speed ( v ) and mass ( m ) of the moving object.
It can be expressed by the following relationship:

KE = 1 x m x v²
          2

- m  in kilogram (kg)
- v in meter per second (m/s)
- Ec in joule (J)

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