Mark is conducting an experiment to show how an object’s kinetic energy is affected by its mass and velocity. First, he lets an empty wagon roll down a hill and calculates its kinetic energy. Next, he repeats the experiment after placing a bag of sand in the wagon. Which is the best prediction for the second part of his experiment?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The wagon will have less velocity than when it was empty.
The wagon will have less velocity than when it was empty.

The wagon will have less kinetic energy than when it was empty.
The wagon will have less kinetic energy than when it was empty.

The wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.
The wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.

The wagon will have the same amount of kinetic energy as when it was empty.
The wagon will have the same amount of kinetic energy as when it was empty.

Answer 1

In the scenario where Mark adds a bag of sand to the wagon, we can analyze how this affects the kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is calculated using the formula:

\[ KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 \]

where \( m \) is the mass of the object and \( v \) is its velocity.

1. When the wagon is empty, it has a certain mass and velocity down the hill, giving it a certain amount of kinetic energy.
2. When Mark adds the bag of sand, the mass of the wagon increases, which will have an effect on the kinetic energy.

Given that the wagon is rolling down the hill, it will gain velocity due to the gravitational force acting on it. The increase in mass (due to the sand) will likely reduce the velocity compared to the empty wagon, because a more massive object may move slower down the hill for the same height (depending on friction and other factors).

However, since the mass has significantly increased, even if the velocity is slightly lower, the kinetic energy will still be higher because the mass has a greater weight that will contribute significantly to the kinetic energy equation.

Therefore, the best prediction for the second part of the experiment is:

The wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.