Mark is conducting an experiment to show how an object’s kinetic energy is affected by its mass and velocity. First, he lets an empty wagon roll down a hill and calculates its kinetic energy. Next, he repeats the experiment after placing a bag of sand in the wagon. Which is the best prediction for the second part of his experiment?(1 point)
Responses
The wagon will have the same amount of kinetic energy as when it was empty.
The wagon will have the same amount of kinetic energy as when it was empty.
The wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.
The wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.
The wagon will have less kinetic energy than when it was empty.
The wagon will have less kinetic energy than when it was empty.
The wagon will have less velocity than when it was empty.
The wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.
The best prediction for the second part of Mark's experiment is that the wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.
To understand why, let's consider the factors that affect an object's kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is directly proportional to both the mass and the square of the velocity of an object.
In the first part of the experiment, when the wagon was empty, it had a certain velocity and zero mass (assuming the wagon itself has negligible mass compared to the bag of sand). Therefore, the kinetic energy of the wagon was determined solely by its velocity.
In the second part of the experiment, when a bag of sand is placed in the wagon, the wagon's mass increases. As a result, when it rolls down the hill, it will have more inertia due to the added mass. However, the predicted outcome is that the wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty.
The reason for this is that while the wagon has more mass, it is also expected to maintain or increase its velocity. Since kinetic energy depends on the square of the velocity, if the velocity remains the same or increases, the kinetic energy will increase proportionally.
Therefore, the best prediction is that the wagon will have more kinetic energy than when it was empty when a bag of sand is placed in it.