How to Calculate the Energy of a Moving Electron

The energy of any moving atomic particle is known as kinetic energy.

The energy of any moving particle -- whether a proton, a nucleus or an electron -- is known as kinetic energy. This differs from potential energy, which refers to the energy of a particle at rest. To calculate the kinetic energy of a moving electron, you need to know the speed at which the electron is moving and the electron's mass. By plugging this information into one of Albert Einstein's equations, you can then solve the kinetic energy of a moving electron in joules.

Instructions

1. Determine the speed of the moving electron in meters per second.

2. Establish the mass of an electron in kilograms. It is 9.1 * 10^-31.

3. Plug the speed (v) and mass (m) into the following equation to calculate the energy of a moving electron: KE = 1/2 * m * v^2. It essentially states that the kinetic energy of a moving electron is equivalent to one-half its mass multiplied by the square of its speed of velocity. Given an electron traveling at 6.00 x 10^6 m/s, the equation would read as follows: KE = 1/2 * (9.1 * 10^-31) * (6.00 x 10^6)^2 = 3.28 * 10^-21 J

References

• High Point University: Energy of a Particle