How does the mass of a falling object impact the object's kinetic energy?(1 point)

Responses

Mass does not impact kinetic energy.
Mass does not impact kinetic energy.

An increase in mass causes a decrease in kinetic energy.
An increase in mass causes a decrease in kinetic energy.

An increase in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.
An increase in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.

A decrease in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.

An increase in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.

An increase in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.

The correct answer is: An increase in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.

To understand why, we need to consider the formula for kinetic energy, which is 1/2 multiplied by the mass of the object multiplied by the square of its velocity.

Kinetic energy = 1/2 * mass * velocity^2

From the formula, it is clear that the mass of an object directly affects its kinetic energy. When the mass increases, the kinetic energy also increases. This is because a greater mass requires more energy to be in motion.

To see this in action, let's consider an example. Imagine we have two objects with the same velocity, but different masses. Object A has a mass of 1 kg, while Object B has a mass of 2 kg.

Using the formula, we can calculate the kinetic energy for both objects:

Kinetic energy of Object A = 1/2 * 1 kg * velocity^2
Kinetic energy of Object B = 1/2 * 2 kg * velocity^2

Since the velocity is the same for both objects, we can simplify the equation:

Kinetic energy of Object A = 1/2 * velocity^2
Kinetic energy of Object B = 2 * 1/2 * velocity^2

As we can see, the kinetic energy of Object B is twice the kinetic energy of Object A. This demonstrates that an increase in mass leads to an increase in kinetic energy.

Therefore, the correct answer is: An increase in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.