Mr. Starr pushed a cart full of groceries to his car. After emptying the cart, he pushed it back to the store. He pushed the cart at a speed of 2 meters per second each way. Which is the best prediction?(1 point)

Question

Responses

When it was full, the cart had less kinetic energy.
When it was full, the cart had less kinetic energy.

When it was empty, the cart had less kinetic energy.
When it was empty, the cart had less kinetic energy.

The cart had the same kinetic energy going each way.
The cart had the same kinetic energy going each way.

The cart’s kinetic energy depends on Mr. Starr’s mass.

Answer 1

The best prediction is:

When it was full, the cart had less kinetic energy.

This is because kinetic energy is determined by the formula \( KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 \), where \( m \) is the mass and \( v \) is the velocity. When the cart was full of groceries, it had a greater mass while its speed remained the same (2 meters per second). Therefore, the kinetic energy of the full cart would be greater compared to when it was empty, which has a lower mass.

So, in this case:

• The empty cart has less mass, and therefore less kinetic energy compared to the full cart, even though they both travel at the same speed.