When an object is massless, it means that its mass is effectively zero. In classical physics, the kinetic energy of an object is given by the equation:
KE = (1/2)mv^2,
where KE is the kinetic energy, m is the mass of the object, and v is the velocity of the object.
If the object is massless (m = 0), the kinetic energy equation becomes:
KE = (1/2)(0)v^2 = 0.
This means that when the object has zero mass, its kinetic energy is always zero, regardless of its velocity. Since the object has no mass, it does not possess any kinetic energy.
Additionally, if the velocity of an object is zero (v = 0), the kinetic energy equation becomes:
KE = (1/2)m(0)^2 = 0.
Again, the kinetic energy of the object is zero, irrespective of its mass. When the velocity of an object is zero, its kinetic energy is zero as well.
In both cases, the absence of mass or velocity results in zero kinetic energy.