Certified Safety Professional Practice Exam

Kinetic energy is the correct type of energy associated with an object that is in motion. It is defined as the energy that an object possesses due to its velocity; this energy increases with the speed of the object and is calculated using the formula one-half the mass of the object multiplied by the square of its velocity (KE = 1/2 mv²). Kinetic energy is a fundamental concept in physics, playing a crucial role in understanding the dynamics of moving objects and how they interact with forces.

Potential energy, by contrast, refers to energy stored in an object due to its position or state, such as height in a gravitational field. Elastic potential energy is a specific type of potential energy related to the deformation of materials, like a compressed spring, and chemical energy pertains to the energy stored within the bonds of chemical compounds. Each of these types of energy applies to different circumstances and states of matter, underscoring the distinct nature and applications of kinetic energy in analyzing motion.