The roller coaster The Ninja has a height of 122 ft and speed of 52 mph. Its potential energy due to height changes into kinetic energy of motion. Work is done by a force when that force causes an object to move in the direction of the force. The kinetic energy of an object is 1/2mv^2. The potential energy due to gravity is mgh. The work-energy theorem states that the work done on an object is equal to its change in kinetic energy.