A large truck and a small car are moving at the same speed, traveling up and down hills, and over bumpy roads. Which one has more kinetic energy? (1 point)
• The car has more kinetic energy because it moves fast down hills.
•The truck has more kinetic energy because it has a greater mass.
•The truck has less kinetic energy because it has greater mass.
• The car and truck have the same kinetic energy.
The truck has more kinetic energy because it has a greater mass.
The truck has more kinetic energy because it has a greater mass.
To determine which vehicle has more kinetic energy, we need to consider two factors: mass and speed.
Kinetic energy is defined as 1/2 times the mass of an object times its velocity squared. Therefore, both mass and velocity contribute to the amount of kinetic energy an object possesses.
In this scenario, it is mentioned that the truck and the car are moving at the same speed. Since their speeds are equal, speed is not a determining factor in the difference of their kinetic energies.
However, mass does play a crucial role. According to the given information, the truck has a greater mass than the car. As the equation indicates, kinetic energy is directly proportional to mass. Therefore, we can conclude that the truck will have more kinetic energy than the car because it has a greater mass.
So, the correct answer is: The truck has more kinetic energy because it has a greater mass.