Use the table of information from an investigation to answer the question.

Question

Student Depth of Object in Sand (cm)
Maddie 1.8
Naveed 4.0
Two students drop an object into sand from a height of 1.5 meters. They record the depth of the hole made in the sand by each student’s object. What is the most likely explanation for the results?

(1 point)
Responses

Naveed’s object had greater kinetic energy.
Naveed’s object had greater kinetic energy.

Naveed’s object has less mass.
Naveed’s object has less mass.

Maddie’s object had a faster drop speed.
Maddie’s object had a faster drop speed.

Maddie’s object has a smaller width.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

Naveed’s object had greater kinetic energy.

This is the most plausible explanation for why Naveed's object penetrated the sand more deeply (4.0 cm) compared to Maddie's object (1.8 cm). Since both objects were dropped from the same height, the difference in depth is likely due to factors such as the mass of the objects, which influences their kinetic energy at the moment of impact. If Naveed's object is more massive, it would have greater kinetic energy and thus make a larger hole in the sand.