National League for Nursing (NLN PAX) Practice Exam

When an object is in motion, the energy that is transformed into kinetic energy is potential energy. Potential energy is the stored energy an object possesses due to its position or state. For example, a rock at the top of a hill has potential energy because of its elevated position. When the rock rolls down the hill, this potential energy converts into kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion.

In contrast, thermal energy, mechanical energy, and electric energy do not directly convert into kinetic energy in the same context. Thermal energy relates to the temperature of an object and the movement of its particles but does not describe motion directly. Mechanical energy encompasses both potential and kinetic energy but is not itself transformed into kinetic energy directly. Electric energy refers to the energy of electric charges and may also lead to motion but is not fundamentally related to the concept of movement in the same way potential energy is.