Which of the following has a higher kinetic energy?
A 1000 kg car rolling at a speed of 5 m/s across the floor or a 1500 kg hippo swimming at a speed of 2 m/s
a
the hippo
b
their kinetic energies are equal
c
not enough information to determine
d
the car
1 answer
The answer is d. The kinetic energy of an object is given by the formula KE=0.5mv^2, where m is the mass of the object and v is its velocity. Based on this formula, the kinetic energy of the car would be higher than that of the hippo. This is because even though the hippo has a greater mass, its velocity is much lower than that of the car, resulting in a lower kinetic energy.