What type of energy is associated with motion?

Kinetic energy is the form of energy that is directly related to the motion of an object. It is defined as the energy an object possesses due to its motion, which means that any moving object, whether it’s a car driving down the street, a ball being thrown, or even particles moving in a gas, has kinetic energy. The amount of kinetic energy an object has depends on its mass and velocity, as described by the equation (KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2), where (m) is mass and (v) is velocity.

In contrast, potential energy relates to the position or configuration of an object, specifically in a gravitational field or other forces. Nuclear energy involves the forces and reactions within the nucleus of atoms and thermal energy is tied to the temperature of an object and the motion of its particles at a microscopic level. However, these forms of energy do not pertain directly to motion in the same way that kinetic energy does. Thus, kinetic energy distinctly represents energy in motion, making it the correct choice in this scenario.