What type of energy is characterized by a body's motion?

The correct choice pertains to kinetic energy, which is defined as the energy possessed by an object due to its motion. This type of energy depends on both the mass of the object and its velocity, following the formula ( KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 ), where ( m ) is the mass and ( v ) is the velocity of the object. For example, a moving car or a flowing river possess kinetic energy because they are in motion.

In contrast, potential energy relates to the position of an object, such as an object at height due to gravity. Nuclear energy refers to the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom and is released during nuclear reactions, while thermal energy is associated with the temperature of an object and the kinetic energy of its particles but does not specifically describe the energy due to motion of a body as kinetic energy does. Thus, kinetic energy is the specific type of energy being described by the question.