As shown below, a student places a 500-gram car at point X on a wooden racetrack in an energy transformation investigation.
What outcome is most likely if the student uses a 700-gram car instead?
(1 point)
Responses
A 700-gram car would have less potential energy at point X and less kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have less potential energy at point X and less kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have more potential energy at point X and more kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have more potential energy at point X and more kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have less kinetic energy at point X and less potential energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have less kinetic energy at point X and less potential energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have more kinetic energy at point X and less potential energy at the bottom of the racetrack
A 700-gram car would have more kinetic energy at point X and less potential energy at the bottom of the racetrack.
The most likely outcome if the student uses a 700-gram car instead is that the 700-gram car would have more potential energy at point X and more kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack.
To determine the outcome if a 700-gram car is used instead of a 500-gram car, we need to understand the relationship between potential energy, kinetic energy, and mass.
The potential energy of an object is determined by its height and mass. The higher an object is placed, the more potential energy it has. The formula for potential energy is PE = mgh, where m is the mass of the object, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height.
The kinetic energy of an object is determined by its mass and velocity. The faster an object is moving, the more kinetic energy it has. The formula for kinetic energy is KE = 0.5mv^2, where m is the mass of the object and v is the velocity.
In this case, the 700-gram car has a greater mass than the 500-gram car. So, if the cars are placed at the same height (point X), the 700-gram car would have more potential energy because it has more mass.
However, if the cars are released to roll down the racetrack, the 700-gram car would also have more kinetic energy because it has more mass. The kinetic energy depends on both mass and velocity, but since the cars are released from rest, they would have the same initial velocity. Therefore, the 700-gram car would have more kinetic energy due to its greater mass.
So, the correct response would be:
A 700-gram car would have more potential energy at point X and more kinetic energy at the bottom of the racetrack.