A student drops a 350-gram rock and a 500-gram rock into a pool from a height of 8 meters. Which statement about the investigation is accurate?(1 point) Responses The 500-gram rock causes a smaller splash because it has more mass. The 500-gram rock causes a smaller splash because it has more mass. The 500-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has more kinetic energy. The 500-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has more kinetic energy. The 350-gram rock causes a smaller splash because it has more kinetic energy. The 350-gram rock causes a smaller splash because it has more kinetic energy. The 350-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has less mass. The 350-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has less mass.

1 answer

The accurate statement about the investigation is: "The 500-gram rock causes a larger splash because it has more kinetic energy."

When the rocks are dropped from the same height, both will accelerate due to gravity and reach the water with the same velocity. However, the kinetic energy (KE) of an object is given by the formula \( KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 \), where \( m \) is mass and \( v \) is velocity. Since the 500-gram rock has greater mass, it will have more kinetic energy upon impact with the water, which can lead to a larger splash.