A student drops a 350-gram rock and a 500-gram rock into a pool from a height of 8 meters. Which statement about the investigation is accurate?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The 500-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has more kinetic energy.
The 500-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has more kinetic energy.

The 350-gram rock causes a smaller splash because it has more kinetic energy.
The 350-gram rock causes a smaller splash because it has more kinetic energy.

The 500-gram rock causes a smaller splash because it has more mass.
The 500-gram rock causes a smaller splash because it has more mass.

The 350-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has less mass.

Answer 1

The accurate statement about the investigation is:

The 500-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has more kinetic energy.

Here's the reasoning: When both rocks are dropped from the same height (8 meters), they will both reach the same speed just before hitting the water due to gravity. However, the kinetic energy (KE) of an object is given by the formula \( KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 \), where \( m \) is mass and \( v \) is velocity. Since the 500-gram rock has more mass, it will have more kinetic energy upon impact, leading to a larger splash when it hits the water.