Question

A semi truck and a smart car have the same kinetic energy. Explain how this could be possible 2-5 sentences.

Answer 1

This could be possible if the semi truck is moving at a much slower speed than the smart car. Kinetic energy is dependent on both an object's mass and its velocity, so even though the semi truck may have a much larger mass than the smart car, if it is moving significantly slower, their kinetic energies could be equal. Essentially, the smart car would need to be traveling at a much higher velocity to match the kinetic energy of the slower-moving semi truck due to its smaller mass.