Question
A big rig truck loses its breaks going down a steep highway. The truck has a mass of 36,200 kilograms and is traveling at 78 miles per hour (34.8 meters per second). How much kinetic energy does the truck have when the driver turns into the deep gravel of an emergency ramp?
KE=12mv2
(1 point)
To calculate the kinetic energy (KE) of the truck, we can use the formula KE = 1/2 * m * v^2, where m is the mass of the truck and v is the velocity of the truck.
Given:
Mass of the truck (m) = 36,200 kg
Velocity of the truck (v) = 34.8 m/s
Plugging these values into the formula:
KE = 1/2 * 36,200 kg * (34.8 m/s)^2
Calculating:
KE = 0.5 * 36,200 kg * (34.8 m/s)^2
KE = 0.5 * 36,200 kg * 1209.6 m^2/s^2
KE = 21,660,960 kg * m^2/s^2
So, the truck has approximately 21,660,960 joules of kinetic energy.