I always think of kinetic energy as 'heat' energy - the heat given off by the movement of molecules. SO, when someone in my class had a picture of two balloons - one full (potential) and one balloon releasing its air (kinetic) - I shamelessly said, "But there's no heat!!!"
Kinetic is the energy of movement - not JUST of molecules. In our Chemistry unit, you need to understand that we measure kinetic energy by heat/thermometer. However, the picture of the balloon wasn't really wrong - just in wrong in the case of Chemistry, not in the sense of say, physics.
Sorry, I can't remember who had that picture. I do remember finding the reference to that picture and it being on a grade 2 Glogster Poster. Check references... even of your teachers.
