An athlete is practicing shotput using a 16-pound shot, and he throws it 40 feet. He then uses a 12-pound shot and throws it 50 feet. In three to four sentences, explain why there is a difference in these throws using the ideas of mass and speed and how each relates to kinetic energy.(4 points)
The difference in the throws can be attributed to a combination of mass and speed. When using the 16-pound shot, the athlete has to exert more force to accelerate the heavier shot to a high speed, which may result in a slower overall velocity. This means that even though the mass is higher, the shot may not travel as far due to a lower speed. On the other hand, with the 12-pound shot, the athlete can achieve a higher velocity more easily due to the lighter mass, resulting in a longer throw. The kinetic energy of an object is directly proportional to its mass and the square of its velocity, meaning that a lighter shot with a higher speed will have greater kinetic energy and travel farther than a heavier shot with a lower speed.
