Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. It depends on two main factors: the mass of the object and its velocity. The formula for calculating kinetic energy is KE = 1/2 mv², where KE represents kinetic energy, m is mass, and v is velocity. This means that if an object's speed increases, its kinetic energy increases significantly. For example, a moving car has kinetic energy that allows it to do work, such as pushing against air or colliding with another object. Similarly, a baseball thrown at high speed has more kinetic energy than one thrown slowly. Understanding kinetic energy helps explain how moving objects interact in the physical world.