Thread: Kinetic energy

When a tank is travelling along with the top part of its tracks moving at say 40mph there must be a lot of kinetic energy involved in the track. However, the part of the track on the ground is stationary with no kinetic energy - so where is this energy being absorbed? Is it is all being absorbed where it turns on the sproket?

The total KE of the track doesn't change until the speed of the tank changes. The rear part of the tread is being accelerated as it rolls over the rear sprocket while the front part is slowing down over the front sprocket with the force being transferred from one part of the track to the other through the sprockets and the tension in the upper part of the track. Of course, a lot of the energy will be lost to friction.