Two city buses are traveling at 24 miles per hour. The buses are the same model and year. One bus has 30 passengers. The other bus has 12 passengers. Which is the best prediction?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The bus with 30 passengers will have less kinetic energy.
The bus with 30 passengers will have less kinetic energy.

The bus with 12 passengers will have less kinetic energy.
The bus with 12 passengers will have less kinetic energy.

The buses’ kinetic energies will depend on their routes.
The buses’ kinetic energies will depend on their routes.

The buses will have the same amount of kinetic energy.

Answer 1

To determine the kinetic energy of the buses, we can use the kinetic energy formula:

\[ \text{K.E.} = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 \]

where \( m \) is the mass of the bus (including passengers) and \( v \) is the velocity.

Both buses are traveling at the same speed (24 miles per hour). However, the bus with 30 passengers has more mass compared to the bus with 12 passengers, assuming the buses themselves are the same model and weight without the passengers. Therefore, the bus with more passengers (30) will have a greater total mass and, consequently, greater kinetic energy.

Thus, the best prediction is:

The bus with 30 passengers will have greater kinetic energy.

However, that response isn't in the given options. The closest reasonable interpretation from the provided options would be:

The buses will have the same amount of kinetic energy. (which is incorrect but it is the only option that suggests equality).

None of the provided answers is correct regarding the actual kinetic energy comparison.