Question

A roller-coaster is at the top of a 54-meter hill. The car and its
passengers have a total mass of 1,063 kilograms. By the time the car
reaches the bottom of the hill, its speed is 74 miles per hour (33
meters per second). How much kinetic energy does the car have at
the bottom of the hill?
29,403.0 J
578,803.5 J
2,910,494.0 J
592,416.0 J

Answer 1

To calculate the kinetic energy of the roller-coaster car at the bottom of the hill, we can use the formula:

KE = 0.5 * m * v^2

Where:
KE = kinetic energy
m = mass of the car and passengers (1,063 kg)
v = speed of the car (33 m/s)

Plugging in the values:

KE = 0.5 * 1,063 * (33)^2
KE = 0.5 * 1,063 * 1,089
KE = 578,803.5 J

Therefore, the kinetic energy of the roller-coaster car at the bottom of the hill is 578,803.5 J.