b. At what position is the kinetic energy the greatest? (1 point)
•6 m
•just below 6 m
• just above 0 m
• 0 m
The kinetic energy is the greatest just below 6 m.
To determine at what position the kinetic energy is the greatest, we need to consider the equation for kinetic energy. Kinetic energy (KE) is given by the formula KE = 1/2 mv^2, where m is the mass of an object and v is its velocity.
Given the options provided, we can analyze each possibility:
- At 6 m: The position itself does not have a direct effect on kinetic energy. Therefore, the position at 6 m alone does not guarantee the greatest kinetic energy.
- Just below 6 m: Similar to the previous point, the specific position just below 6 m does not inherently determine the greatest kinetic energy. It depends on other factors such as velocity.
- Just above 0 m: Similar to the previous points, being just above 0 m does not by itself indicate the greatest kinetic energy. It is still dependent on the object's velocity.
- At 0 m: At 0 m, an object will most likely be at rest and have no velocity. Since the formula for kinetic energy includes the square of the velocity, having zero velocity would result in zero kinetic energy. Therefore, the kinetic energy would be the smallest at 0 m, rather than the greatest.
Based on the analysis, none of the options mentioned guarantee the greatest kinetic energy. The greatest kinetic energy would occur at a position where both mass and velocity are maximized.
To determine at what position the kinetic energy is the greatest, we need to consider the properties of kinetic energy and its relationship with position.
The formula for kinetic energy is given by:
Kinetic Energy (KE) = (1/2) * mass * velocity^2
In this case, since we are analyzing the position, we are assuming a constant mass. Therefore, we can ignore mass in our analysis.
The critical factor that affects kinetic energy in this scenario is velocity. Velocity depends on the position of the object.
Given the options provided, we can analyze each position to see where the velocity and, subsequently, the kinetic energy would be the greatest.
- 6 m position: At this position, if we consider the object moving from left to right, the object has already passed through the origin (0 m). Therefore, the velocity decreases as the object moves further away from the origin. Thus, the kinetic energy is NOT the greatest at this position.
- Just below 6 m: Since the object has moved beyond the origin, the velocity decreases again as it moves away from the origin. Therefore, the kinetic energy is NOT the greatest at this position.
- Just above 0 m: The object is very close to the origin, and as it moves away from the origin, its velocity increases. Thus, the kinetic energy at this position is GREATER than at the previous positions.
- 0 m position: At this position, the object is at the origin, so its velocity is zero. Therefore, the kinetic energy is ZERO at this position.
Therefore, based on the given choices, the kinetic energy is the greatest just above 0 m.