Galilean Transformations of Kinetic Energy, Work, and Potential Energy

Abstract

Work, kinetic energy (KE), and potential energy (PE) are key physics concepts, taught in essentially every introductory physics course along with the physical laws such as the work-kinetic energy theorem and the conservation of mechanical energy, which describe how the values of those quantities change during various processes. Quite appropriately for introductory courses, little attention is paid to how those concepts play out when implemented via observations in reference frames moving with respect to each other.