A student is testing how mass impacts kinetic energy. From the same height on a diving board, she drops two balls into a swimming pool. One ball has a bigger mass than the other.
a. How would the splashes of the two balls compare?
(1 point)
Responses
The ball with the higher mass would make a bigger splash.
The ball with the higher mass would make a bigger splash.
The ball with the lower mass would make a bigger splash.
The ball with the lower mass would make a bigger splash.
The balls would make splashes of the same size.
The balls would make splashes of the same size.
The size of the splash is independent of the mass of the ball.
The ball with the higher mass would make a bigger splash.
How does the mass of a falling object impact the object's kinetic energy?(1 point)
Responses
An increase in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.
An increase in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.
An increase in mass causes a decrease in kinetic energy.
An increase in mass causes a decrease in kinetic energy.
A decrease in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.
A decrease in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.
Mass does not impact kinetic energy.
An increase in mass causes an increase in kinetic energy.
What happens to the kinetic energy of a ball when it hits the water?(1 point)
Responses
Overall, kinetic energy is gained.
Overall, kinetic energy is gained.
All of the kinetic energy is kept by the ball.
All of the kinetic energy is kept by the ball.
Overall, kinetic energy is lost.
Overall, kinetic energy is lost.
Some of the energy is transferred to the water.
Some of the energy is transferred to the water.
The ball with the higher mass would make a bigger splash.
The correct answer is: The ball with the higher mass would make a bigger splash.
The reason for this is because kinetic energy is directly proportional to mass. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion, and is calculated using the formula: KE = 1/2 * mass * velocity^2.
When the balls are dropped from the same height, they both start with the same potential energy, which is dependent on their height above the water. As they fall, this potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. The larger mass ball will have a higher initial kinetic energy because it has a greater mass.
When the balls hit the water, this kinetic energy is transferred to the water molecules, creating a splash. The larger mass ball has more kinetic energy to transfer, so it will create a bigger splash compared to the smaller mass ball.
To summarize, the size of the splash is directly related to the mass of the ball.