<em>The difference between Kinetic and Thermal Energy is simple. Thermal Energy comes from heat which is generated by molecules moving around very fast (kinetic energy does tie in here but Thermal and Kinetic Energy are still not the same). Kinetic Energy is generated by speed and mass, and whenever an object is moving fast it has Kinetic Energy, if something is sitting still it has Potential Kinetic Energy.</em>
Thermal energy comes from a substance whose molecules and atoms are vibrating faster due to a rise in temperature. Kinetic energy is the energy of a moving object. As thermal energy comes from moving particles, it is a form of kinetic energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences:
So, the main difference between thermal and kinetic energy is that the first one is random motions of particles that you mostly can't see by eye, while the second is a unified motion of these same particles, which you can then see. As you say, kinetic energy of large objects can be converted into this thermal energy.
