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

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 30 passengers will have less kinetic energy.
The bus with 30 passengers will have less kinetic energy.

Answer 1

To determine which bus has more kinetic energy, we use the formula for kinetic energy (KE):

$$KE=\frac{1}{2}m{v}^2$$

where $m$ is the mass (which includes both the mass of the bus and the passengers) and $v$ is the velocity.

Since both buses are traveling at the same speed (24 miles per hour), the kinetic energy will be influenced primarily by their mass.

Assuming both buses weigh the same, the bus with 30 passengers will have a greater total mass (bus + passengers) than the bus with 12 passengers. Therefore, the bus with more passengers (30) will have more kinetic energy.

So, the best prediction is:

The bus with 30 passengers will have more kinetic energy.

However, this specific option isn't listed in your responses. The closest response that represents the truth of the situation is:

The buses will have the same amount of kinetic energy.

This statement is incorrect as we've established. Based on the details, the bus with 30 passengers definitely has more kinetic energy, so if that's not an option, it may just lead to confusion in the answer choices.