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 size of the splash is independent of the mass of the ball.
The size of the splash is independent of the mass of the ball.
The balls would make splashes of the same size.
The balls would make splashes of the same size.
The ball with the lower mass would make a bigger splash.
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 higher mass would make a bigger splash.
To understand why, we can consider the concept of kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its motion. It is dependent on two factors: mass and velocity.
In this case, the two balls are dropped from the same height, so they have the same initial potential energy. As they fall, this potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. Since kinetic energy is dependent on mass, the ball with the higher mass will have more kinetic energy compared to the ball with lower mass.
When the balls hit the water, their kinetic energy is transferred to the water, causing a splash. The greater the kinetic energy, the stronger the impact, and therefore, the bigger the splash. Hence, the ball with the higher mass will make a bigger splash compared to the ball with lower mass.