To determine which statement is accurate, let's analyze the situation regarding the rocks being dropped into the pool.
Both rocks are dropped from the same height (8 meters), so they will both have the same potential energy before being dropped, which converts to kinetic energy as they fall. The kinetic energy of each rock just before hitting the water can be determined using the formula for gravitational potential energy:
\[ PE = mgh \]
Where:
- \(m\) is mass,
- \(g\) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s²),
- \(h\) is the height (8 meters).
Given:
-
For the 350-gram rock: \[ PE = 0.35 , \text{kg} \times 9.81 , \text{m/s}^2 \times 8 , \text{m} \]
-
For the 500-gram rock: \[ PE = 0.5 , \text{kg} \times 9.81 , \text{m/s}^2 \times 8 , \text{m} \]
Calculating the potential energy for both:
-
350-gram rock: \[ PE = 0.35 \times 9.81 \times 8 \approx 27.43 , \text{J} \]
-
500-gram rock: \[ PE = 0.5 \times 9.81 \times 8 \approx 39.24 , \text{J} \]
Thus, the kinetic energy just before hitting the water indicates:
- The 500-gram rock has more kinetic energy due to its larger mass.
Regarding the splash, a larger mass (the 500-gram rock) typically displaces more water upon impact than a smaller mass, therefore generally causing a larger splash.
So, the accurate statement would be:
The 500-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has more kinetic energy.
(Note: This statement is not present in the options you provided directly; rather, the understanding of mass relationships and splash size is applied here to conclude that the larger mass results in a larger splash.)
Among the options given, if we had to select from them based on implied reasoning, it would be closest to:
The 500-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has more kinetic energy.
If there's any option that wasn't included in your list accurately stating this relationship based on kinetic energy and mass, it needs to be clarified or corrected.