Two city buses are traveling at 24 miles per hour. The buses are the same model and year. One bus has 30 passengers. The other bus has 12 passengers. Which is the best prediction?(1 point)

Question

Responses

The buses will have the same amount of kinetic energy.
The buses will have the same amount of kinetic energy.

The buses’ kinetic energies will depend on their routes.
The buses’ kinetic energies will depend on their routes.

The bus with 12 passengers will have less kinetic energy.
The bus with 12 passengers will have less kinetic energy.

The bus with 30 passengers will have less kinetic energy.

Answer 1

The best prediction is:

The bus with 12 passengers will have less kinetic energy.

Kinetic energy (KE) is calculated using the formula:

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

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

In this case, while both buses are traveling at the same speed, the bus with 30 passengers will have a greater mass (since it carries more passengers) compared to the bus with 12 passengers. Therefore, the bus with more passengers (30) will have more kinetic energy than the one with fewer passengers (12), assuming the buses themselves have the same mass.