Consider the following passage:

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. An object that has motion has kinetic energy. The amount of kinetic energy that an object in motion possesses depends on its mass (m) and speed (v). The following equation represents the kinetic energy (KE ) of an object: 

Kinetic energy (KE) = ½mv2 

where m = mass in kg of object; v = speed of object. 

Kinetic energy is a scalar quantity; it does not have a direction. The kinetic energy of an object is completely described by its magnitude alone. The unit of measurement for kinetic energy is the joule.

 


What is the kinetic energy, in joules, of a 625-kg roller coaster car that is moving with a speed of 18.3 m/s?

Explanation

Using the formula, we know that: KE = ½ × mv2 = ½ × 625 kg × (18.3 m/s)2 = 1.05 × 105 J

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