Question

Question

As shown below, a student places a 500-gram car at point X on a wooden racetrack in an energy transformation investigation.

What outcome is most likely if the student uses a 700-gram car instead?

(1 point)
Responses

A 700-gram car would have less potential energy at point X and less kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have less potential energy at point X and less kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack

A 700-gram car would have more kinetic energy at point X and less potential energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have more kinetic energy at point X and less potential energy at the bottom of the racetrack

A 700-gram car would have less kinetic energy at point X and less potential energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have less kinetic energy at point X and less potential energy at the bottom of the racetrack

A 700-gram car would have more potential energy at point X and more kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have more potential energy at point X and more kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack
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Answer 1

To determine the most likely outcome if the student uses a 700-gram car instead of a 500-gram car, we need to consider how potential energy (PE) and kinetic energy (KE) are affected by mass.

1. Potential Energy (PE): The potential energy at a certain height is given by the formula: \[ PE = mgh \] where \(m\) is mass, \(g\) is the acceleration due to gravity, and \(h\) is height. Since the 700-gram car has a greater mass than the 500-gram car, assuming they are raised to the same height \(h\), the 700-gram car will have more potential energy at point X.

2. Kinetic Energy (KE): The kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack will be equal to the potential energy at point X (in the absence of friction and air resistance) due to the conservation of energy. Therefore, a greater potential energy will result in greater kinetic energy at the bottom.

From this analysis, if a 700-gram car is placed at point X:

• It will have more potential energy than the 500-gram car.
• Consequently, it will also have more kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack.

Thus, the correct response would be:

A 700-gram car would have more potential energy at point X and more kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack.