Question

Which object has the greatest kinetic energy?

a
a person with a mass of 73 kg running 6 m/s
b
a truck with a mass of 3,500 kg moving at 30 m/s
c
a locomotive engine with a mass of 205,000 kg moving 5 m/s
d
a fast pitched baseball with a mass of .5 kg moving at 46.9 m/s

Answer 1

d) The fast pitched baseball with a mass of .5 kg moving at 46.9 m/s has the greatest kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is calculated using the formula KE = (1/2)mv^2, where m is the mass of the object and v is its velocity. The baseball has the highest velocity, which contributes significantly to its kinetic energy despite having a smaller mass than the other objects listed.