Like any physical quantity which is a function of velocity, the kinetic energy of an object does not depend only on the inner nature of that object. Another possibility would be for the cyclist to apply the brakes, in which case the kinetic energy would be dissipated through friction as heat energy. The bicycle would be traveling more slowly at the bottom of the hill because some of the energy has been diverted into making electrical power.

Note that the energy is not lost because it has only been converted to another form by friction.) Alternatively the cyclist could connect a dynamo to one of the wheels and also generate some electrical energy on the descent.

(Since the bicycle lost some of its energy to friction, it will never regain all of its speed without further pedaling. The kinetic energy has now largely been converted to gravitational potential energy that can be released by freewheeling down the other side of the hill. For example, the cyclist could encounter a hill just high enough to coast up, so that the bicycle comes to a complete halt at the top. The kinetic energy in the moving bicycle and the cyclist can be converted to other forms. The energy has been converted into the energy of motion, known as kinetic energy but the process is not completely efficient and heat is also produced within the cyclist. This speed can be maintained without further work, except to overcome air-resistance and friction. For example, a cyclist will use chemical energy that was provided by food to accelerate a bicycle to a chosen speed.

Kinetic energy can be best understood by examples that demonstrate how it is transformed from other forms of energy and to the other forms. These can be categorized in two main classes: potential energy and kinetic energy. There are various forms of energy: chemical energy, heat, electromagnetic radiation, potential energy (gravitational, electric, elastic, etc.), nuclear energy, rest energy. William Thomson, later Lord Kelvin, is given the credit for coining the term kinetic energy c. Early understandings of these ideas can be attributed to Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis who in 1829 published the paper titled Du Calcul de l'Effet des Machines outlining the mathematics of kinetic energy. The terms kinetic energy and work and their present scientific meanings date back to the mid 19th century. The adjective 'kinetic' to the noun energy has its roots in the Greek word for 'motion' ( kinesis). Look up kinetic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. 5 Quantum mechanical kinetic energy of rigid bodies.4 Relativistic kinetic energy of rigid bodies.

Roller coaster kinetic energy game