You are told 3 things… 1. That there are two objects with equal masses. 2. Both objects are in motion. 3. One object has a greater kinetic energy than the other. How is this possible?
1 answer
This situation is possible if the objects have different velocities. The kinetic energy of an object is given by the equation KE = 0.5 * mass * velocity^2. Since the masses are equal, the only way for one object to have a greater kinetic energy than the other is if its velocity is greater. In other words, the object with the higher velocity will have a greater kinetic energy, even if the masses are equal.