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There are exact formulas for certain forms of energy. These formulas are related to different characteristics of the object. Kinetic energy is defined to be equal to Therefore, kinetic energy is dependent on both the objects mass and its [|velocity]. Potential energy is defined to be where the height is the vertical distance of the object from the ground and //g// stands for [|gravitational acceleration] or [|acceleration] due to gravity. Near the surface of the earth, //g// is a constant approximately equal to 9.8 meters per second per second (m/s2). You can use these formulas to calculate the total energy of the system by just adding up the forms. In an isolated system, the value of this quantity, the total energy of the system, will always remain the same.



Bang! Boing! Pop! Interactive Physics on the World Wide Web Created for Thinkquest 96 by Josh Levine, Paulina Kuo, and Doug Brow