A motorcycle, an automobile, and a bus is all travelling at the same speed. Which has the least kinetic energy? The greatest kinetic energy? Explain your answer.
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A motorcycle, an automobile, and a bus is all travelling at the same speed. Which has the least kinetic energy?
●When an object (any object) is moving so that it has a non-zero speed, it is said to have a kinetic energy. The faster an object moves, the greater its kinetic energy. The kinetic energy is also dependent on the mass of the object.
●Kinetic energy is proportional to the mass and to the square of the speed.
You have told us that the speeds are the same, and so in this case, the vehicle with the most kinetic energy is the one with the most mass.
You don’t tell us what the masses are -
the bus could be a child’s toy and the motorcycle could be gigantic! However, in everyday life, a bus typically has more mass than a motorcycle, so it’s most likely that the bus will have more kinetic energy.