Calculating the kinetic energy for a glider
The formula to calculate the amount of kinetic energy in an object is as follows;
\[Ek = 0.5\cdot m\cdot v^2\]Whereas;
Ek: Kinetic Energy in Joules
m: mass of the object, in kg
v: The velocity of the object, in m/s
As we’re calculating the kinetic mass based on position reports and we do not know the mass of the aircraft, we’re butchering the formula such that it becomes $\frac {Ek}{m}=\frac {v^2} {2}$. Right now, the value we would be calculating represents the kinetic energy per kg mass.
The data we’re using represents the kinetic energy by two vectors;
- (Forward) velocity
- Climbrate
Adding those will result in the total amount of kinetic energy in the aircraft per unit of mass.