When automobiles are designed, engineers try to maximize their fuel efficiency. Even with modern technology, today's most efficient vehicles can only attain about 30% efficiency. That means of all the chemical energy of the fuel put into an automobile, only 30% of the fuel results in car motion. Which statement best explains why this happens?(1 point)

Question

Responses

Much of the energy is destroyed.
Much of the energy is destroyed.

Most of the energy is transformed into mass.
Most of the energy is transformed into mass.

Most of the energy becomes chemical energy.
Most of the energy becomes chemical energy.

Much of the energy is transformed into heat.

Answer 1

The statement that best explains why only about 30% of the fuel's chemical energy results in car motion is:

Much of the energy is transformed into heat.

This is because in internal combustion engines, a significant portion of the energy produced during the combustion process is lost as heat due to friction, inefficiencies in the engine, and other factors, rather than being converted into useful work to propel the vehicle.