An athlete is practicing shot put using a 16-pound shot, and he throws it 40 feet. He then uses a 12-pound shot and throws it 50 feet. In three to four sentences, explain why there is a difference in these throws using the ideas of mass sand speed and how each relates to kinetic energy

Answer 1

The difference in the throws can be attributed to the relationship between mass, speed, and kinetic energy. The kinetic energy (KE) of an object is given by the formula \( KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 \), where \( m \) is the mass and \( v \) is the velocity. In this scenario, the athlete may have been able to generate greater speed with the lighter 12-pound shot, resulting in a greater kinetic energy that overcame the effects of its lower mass compared to the heavier 16-pound shot. Therefore, while the 16-pound shot had more mass and theoretically could have generated more kinetic energy, the increased throwing speed with the lighter shot allowed it to travel farther.