In the diagram below, Object A is moving with a speed of 10 m/s and Object B is moving with a speed of 5 m/s. Both objects have a mass of 10 kg. Which object in the diagram has more kinetic energy?

Captionless Image
Responses

Object A
Object A

Object B
Object B

They have the same amount of energy.

1 answer

To determine which object has more kinetic energy, we can use the formula for kinetic energy (KE):

\[ KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 \]

where \(m\) is the mass of the object and \(v\) is its speed.

For Object A:

  • Mass (\(m_A\)) = 10 kg
  • Speed (\(v_A\)) = 10 m/s

Calculating kinetic energy for Object A: \[ KE_A = \frac{1}{2} \times 10 , \text{kg} \times (10 , \text{m/s})^2 = \frac{1}{2} \times 10 \times 100 = 500 , \text{Joules} \]

For Object B:

  • Mass (\(m_B\)) = 10 kg
  • Speed (\(v_B\)) = 5 m/s

Calculating kinetic energy for Object B: \[ KE_B = \frac{1}{2} \times 10 , \text{kg} \times (5 , \text{m/s})^2 = \frac{1}{2} \times 10 \times 25 = 125 , \text{Joules} \]

Now, comparing the kinetic energies:

  • KE of Object A = 500 Joules
  • KE of Object B = 125 Joules

Thus, Object A has more kinetic energy than Object B.

Answer: Object A