3.1 Translational Kinetic Energy

Describe the translational kinetic energy of an object in terms of the object’s mass and velocity.

• An object’s translational kinetic energy is given by the equation Km v1 2 2= .
• Translational kinetic energy is a scalar quantity.
• Different observers may measure different values of the translational kinetic energy of an object, depending on the observer’s frame of reference.