Kinetic energy is motion energy. Heat creates motion so it is a form of kinetic energy. The universe is made up of matter which has molecules and atoms. The motion of these atoms and molecules creates heat. The energy created from heating substances, such as water, makes kinetic energy.
The term kinetic energy comes from the Greek language. The Greek word kinesis literally means motion and the Greek word energeia means active work. Any object, person or thing that moves is kinetic energy. An object not moving, such as water, can produce kinetic energy by applying an outside source to make it move, like heating. Heating the water makes it boil, which produces steam creating a form of kinetic energy.
Heating causes the atoms and molecules to move very quickly. The random movement of atoms and molecules is a form of kinetic energy. The movement of these atoms and molecules can be compressed which makes the atoms and molecules build up pressure. Once the pressure has reached a certain level, it has the ability to turn or move solid objects, such as pistons or turbines inside an engine.
The sun is another way heat produces kinetic energy. Thermal energy is produced by the sun in the form of radiation, which is heat. As the suns heat travels to the Earth, it considered energy in transfer. The transfer of this energy or heat from the sun is a form of kinetic energy because the heat has the atoms and molecules moving randomly.
The internal and external combustion engine, as well as the turbine engine, are good examples of heat creating kinetic energy. The internal combustion engine, like used in a car, heats fuel within a cylinder, pushing a piston and then moving the vehicle creating kinetic energy. The external combustion engine, such as a steam engine, heats the fuel outside the cylinder and transfers the heat into the cylinder to produce kinetic energy. The turbine engine is similar to the external combustion engine, but the turbine is connected to a generator. The kinetic energy created to move the turbine transfers that motion to the generator creating electricity.