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
To calculate the kinetic energy (KE) of the truck, we can use the formula:
KE = 1/2 * mass * velocity^2
Given:
Mass (m) = 36,200 kg
Velocity (v) = 34.8 m/s
Plugging in the values:
KE = 1/2 * 36,200 * (34.8)^2
KE = 0.5 * 36,200 * 1209.84
KE ≈ 26,217,984 Joules
Therefore, the truck has approximately 26,217,984 Joules of kinetic energy when the driver turns into the deep gravel of an emergency ramp.