Question

which falling object will result in the least kinetic energy when it collides with the ground?
100 grams of dirt falling at 15 m/s.
10 grams of dirt falling at 2 m/s.
100 grams of water falling at 10 m/s
10 grams of water falling at 1 m/s.

Answer 1

The kinetic energy of an object can be calculated using the formula KE = (1/2)mv^2, where m is the mass of the object and v is its velocity.

To compare the kinetic energy of the falling objects, we can calculate the value for each object using the provided mass and velocity values, and determine which has the least kinetic energy.

Let's calculate the kinetic energy for each falling object:

1) For 100 grams of dirt falling at 15 m/s:
KE = (1/2)(0.1 kg)(15 m/s)^2 = 11.25 J

2) For 10 grams of dirt falling at 2 m/s:
KE = (1/2)(0.01 kg)(2 m/s)^2 = 0.02 J

3) For 100 grams of water falling at 10 m/s:
KE = (1/2)(0.1 kg)(10 m/s)^2 = 5 J

4) For 10 grams of water falling at 1 m/s:
KE = (1/2)(0.01 kg)(1 m/s)^2 = 0.005 J

Comparing the calculated kinetic energies, we can see that the 10 grams of water falling at 1 m/s has the least kinetic energy.