The concept behind kinetic energy was first developed in the late 17th century by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz , with important early contributions from Johann Bernoulli.

Who “discovered” it?

  • Leibniz (1680s) introduced the idea of vis viva (“living force”), which he defined as proportional to mv2mv^2mv2, essentially the precursor to modern kinetic energy.
  • Johann Bernoulli helped refine and promote this idea, treating vis viva as a conserved quantity in certain collisions.
  • Later, Gaspard‑Gustave Coriolis (1829) formalized the modern expression 12mv2\tfrac{1}{2}mv^221​mv2 and linked it closely to the concept of work.
  • The term “kinetic energy” itself was coined by Lord Kelvin (William Thomson) and Thomas Young , drawing on the Greek word kinesis (“motion”).

A quick timeline table

Time period| Person(s)| Key contribution
---|---|---
1680s| Gottfried Leibniz| Introduced vis viva ≈ mv2mv^2mv2 as “living force.” 37
Early 1700s| Johann Bernoulli| Developed and defended vis viva as conserved in collisions. 17
1722| Willem ’s Gravesande| Gave experimental support by showing penetration depth ∝ v2v^2v2. 7
1740s| Émilie du Châtelet| Published an influential explanation tying experiment to theory. 7
1829| Gaspard‑Gustave Coriolis| Formalized 12mv2\tfrac{1}{2}mv^221​mv2 and linked it to work. 15
19th century| Thomas Young & Lord Kelvin| Coined the term “kinetic energy.” 15

So while Leibniz is usually credited as the originator of the idea , the full modern concept of kinetic energy emerged through several scientists over more than a century.