To determine which object has the highest kinetic energy when released from a ramp, we need to consider a few factors: the height from which each object is released, the time they have been in motion, and the principles of energy conversion.
Assuming both objects are identical (same mass) and are released from heights that are constant with respect to each other:
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Potential Energy (PE): When each object is at rest at a height \( h \), it has gravitational potential energy given by \( PE = mgh \), where \( m \) is the mass, \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \( h \) is the height.
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Kinetic Energy (KE): As the objects roll down the ramp, their potential energy gets converted into kinetic energy. The kinetic energy of an object is given by \( KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 \).
If the student releases object 1 first, it will have a head start and will have had time to accelerate and convert more of its potential energy into kinetic energy by the moment object 2 is released. Therefore:
- Object 1 will have a higher kinetic energy at any given instant after it has started rolling down the ramp.
- Object 2, being released later and still at rest for that period, will not have converted any potential energy into kinetic energy until it is released.
In summary, object 1 will have the highest kinetic energy once both objects are rolling, as it has had more time to convert potential energy into kinetic energy.
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