Mr. Starr pushed a cart full of groceries to his car. After emptying the cart, he pushed it back to the store. He pushed the cart at a speed of 2 meters per second each way. Which is the best prediction?(1 point)

Question

Responses

When it was full, the cart had less kinetic energy.
When it was full, the cart had less kinetic energy.

When it was empty, the cart had less kinetic energy.
When it was empty, the cart had less kinetic energy.

The cart’s kinetic energy depends on Mr. Starr’s mass.
The cart’s kinetic energy depends on Mr. Starr’s mass.

The cart had the same kinetic energy going each way.

Answer 1

The best prediction is:

The cart had the same kinetic energy going each way.

This is because the speed of the cart is the same (2 meters per second) in both directions, and kinetic energy is calculated using the formula \( KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 \), where \( m \) is the mass of the cart (including groceries while full) and \( v \) is the velocity. Although the mass of the cart changes when it is full versus empty, in this scenario, the question implies comparing the kinetic energy of the cart at the same speed, thus the kinetic energy is directly related to its speed and the mass at that moment.