In the context of a cannon firing a cannonball, if the mass of the cannonball increases while all other initial conditions (such as the force of the cannon, the type of propulsion, etc.) remain the same, we can analyze the outcomes using the principles of physics.
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Velocity: According to Newton's second law, if the force exerted by the cannon remains constant and the mass of the cannonball increases, the acceleration will decrease (since \( F = ma \)). If the cannonball has a greater mass, there is more inertia, which means it won't accelerate as quickly. Therefore, the final velocity of the cannonball will decrease.
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Kinetic Energy: The kinetic energy (\( KE \)) of an object is given by the formula \( KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 \). Since the mass \( m \) has increased and the velocity \( v \) has decreased, we need to consider how these changes affect the kinetic energy. If the increase in mass outweighs the decrease in velocity (which is likely if the change in mass is significant), the kinetic energy could either decrease or, in rare cases, remain the same.
However, since the velocity typically decreases when mass increases (under constant force conditions), it leads to a situation where kinetic energy also decreases, especially because \( v^2 \) does not remain constant.
Therefore, the most accurate response is:
The velocity decreases, and the kinetic energy decreases.