A student is investigating energy transfer from potential to kinetic energy using a toy car on a ramp. The student place the toy car at the top of the ramp, releases it, and records how far the car travels. The student's setup is shown.

Question

toy car
ramp
45°

Which statement best describes what would happen if the student increased the angle of the ramp?

A. The toy car would travel farther because more kinetic energy would be transferred into potential energy.

B. The toy car would travel farther because more potential energy would be transferred into kinetic energy.

C. The toy car would not travel as far because more potential energy would be transferred into kinetic energy.

D. The toy car would not travel as far because more kinetic energy would be transferred into potential energy.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

B. The toy car would travel farther because more potential energy would be transferred into kinetic energy.

As the angle of the ramp increases, the height of the ramp increases for the same distance. This means the toy car starts with more potential energy at the top of the ramp, which is then converted into kinetic energy as it moves down the ramp. Therefore, the car would travel farther as a result of increased kinetic energy.