Question

Mark is conducting an experiment to show how an object’s kinetic energy is affected by its mass and velocity. First, he lets an empty wagon roll down a hill and calculates its kinetic energy. Next, he repeats the experiment after placing a bag of sand in the wagon. Which is the best prediction for the second part of his experiment?(1 point) Responses The wagon will have less velocity than when it was empty. The wagon will have less velocity than when it was empty. The wagon will have less kinetic energy than when it was empty. The wagon will have less kinetic energy than when it was empty. The wagon will have the same amount of kinetic energy as when it was empty. The wagon will have the same amount of kinetic energy as when it was empty. The wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.

Answer 1

The best prediction for the second part of Mark's experiment is: The wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.

This is because kinetic energy is calculated using the formula \( KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 \), where \( m \) is the mass and \( v \) is the velocity. By adding the bag of sand, Mark increases the mass of the wagon. As the wagon rolls down the hill, even if its velocity is slightly less due to the increased mass, the overall increase in mass will result in a greater kinetic energy than that of the empty wagon.