Can the kinetic energy of an object be negative?

Question

Also...Can the gravitational potential energy of an object be negative??

Answer 1

KE = (1/2)m*v^2. Mass or v^2 can never be negative

The answer is no.

Velocity is a vector whose sign indicates direction. So let's assume that the object is traveling in the negative direction (left or down by convention). Once a negative value is substituted for v and squared the answer will always be positive.

Mass cannot be negative either.

So Kinetic Energy can never be -ve

Answer 2

Hi Jessy, never. Kinetic energy can never be negative. Why?

The expression for kinetic energy is 1/2 m v^2.

No negative mass so far found and square of a real number whether positive or negative would always be positive.

Whereas gravitational potential energy is always negative. It can never be positive. The highest gravitational potential energy is zero. In that situation, the object is just out of the grip of the gravitational pull. Zero in neither positive nor negative.

Answer 3

Kinetic energy is always positive and potential energy can be negative, as it depends upon what point is associated with zero potential energy. Normally it is considered to be point at infinity. Hence for all other points Potential energy becomes negative as gravitational force is attractive.In fact = -GMm/r for all out side points above earth's surface where r is the distance of the point from the center of the earth. M is mass of earth and m is mass of the point object kept at r distance away from center of earth and G is Universal Gravitational constant.

Answer 4

Just to add to the other answerers who take the (non-relativistic) T = 1/2 m v^2 as a starting point.

Also in the relativistic case, kinetic energy is always non-negative. The expression is:

T = mc^2/(sqrt(1-v^2/c^2) - mc^2.

Since v^2/c^2 is always non-negative, the numerator in the first term is always less than 1 and therefore T>=0.

Answer 5

no, kinetic capacity is a value, hence it won't be able to be adverse yet differently to instruct it truly is depending on the formula ok = one million/2mv^2 mass won't be able to be adverse, and no count number number what the speed is (effective/adverse), it will be effective in the top because v is squared So the perfect answer (kinetic capacity) is continually effective

Answer 6

Yes, it's similar to pulling negative G's in an aircraft!

Answer 7

yes