Can somebody calculate the Kinetic Energy for me?

[Tobbzzzz]

Hi!

I was messin' around in KSP the other day and started thinking about what kinetic energy my ship would actually produce at max velocity.

So i wonder, would anyone be nice and help me by calculating the KE. ( i do not understand the formula with my basic math degree )

So what i have is the mass and the maximum velocity.

Velocity = 1181.8 m/s or 4254,48 km/h (not sure if right, my math is not that good )

Mass = 1.04 tons or 1040 kilos.

Hopeful for answers!

[Kryten]

K_E=¹/₂MV², so it's ¹/₂ X 1040 X (1182²). That comes out to 7.3X10⁸J, or 727MJ

[Urban_K]

If you want to input with words instead of using a calculator Wolfram Alpha can: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=kinetic+energy+of+1040+kg+object+travelling+at+1181.8+m%2Fs

Also has data on our real Solar system http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+between+earth+comet+67P+tomorrow

[WestAir]

F=M*A

So,

Force = 943.472Kg * 1181.8 m/s/s = 1,114,995.2096 Net Force.

So, about 1,114Kn of Newtons. If you want Kinetic Energy, I think the equation is 1 / 2 * Mass * Velocity ^2. So the square of the speed (1,181.8m/s squared is 1,396,651.24) multiplied by mass (943.472Kg * 1.3mill = 1317701338.71), multiplied by the constant 1/2 comes out to 658,850,669.353 Joules of Kinetic Energy.

Edit: I should note that I used short tons for the conversion from Tons to Kg. Kryten did not, which explains the difference and why Kryten got 727MJ.

Edited September 16, 2014 by WestAir

[KerikBalm]

West air, F=MA is not the equation to use.

V != A

What you inadvertently calculated (although with the wrong labels), is momentum, which is Mass* Velocity.

[WestAir]

West air, F=MA is not the equation to use.

V != A

What you inadvertently calculated (although with the wrong labels), is momentum, which is Mass* Velocity.

Did I at least get it with the second equation?

[Kryten]

Not quite, because KSP uses metric tons, not short tons. It was programmed by Mexicans, remember.

[Red Iron Crown]

That and the OP specified the number of kilograms...

[WestAir]

I tried.

[Reactordrone]

To be fair he did use the wrong spelling for tonnes so that may be where the confusion arose.

[kurja]

I had to look up 'short ton'.. seriously, imperial system Converting between various units is something I do regularly at work, I'd lose my wits if I had to use those measures

[Seret]

You should always default to metric for any kind of physics calculation. No exceptions.

[Red Iron Crown]

You should always default to metric for any kind of physics calculation. No exceptions.

Fixed for you.

[Seret]

Fixed for you.

Inclined to agree, but we sometimes have to throw our less fortunate friends in the US a bone.

[WestAir]

In my defense, google calculator automatically uses short tons instead of metric.

[Seret]

That's because tons are the imperial unit. 1000kg = 1 tonne = 1.1 tons. Pronounced the same, spelled differently.

[WestAir]

I feel like we should just pay the money to do away with imperial units.

[Red Iron Crown]

I feel like we should just pay the money to do away with imperial units.

Your avatar would suggest you do not like anything Imperial. Long live the Republic!