Question

A typical meteor that hits the earth's upper atmosphere has a mass of only 2.5 g, about the same as a penny, but it is moving at an impressive 40 $\mathrm{km} / \mathrm{s} .$ As the meteor slows, the resulting thermal energy makes a glowing streak across the sky, a shooting star. The small mass packs a surprising punch. At what speed would a $900 \mathrm{kg}$ compact car need to move to have the same kinetic energy?

Name: Problem 18, Chapter 10: College Physics: A Strategic Approach
Uploaded: 2020-11-21T04:14:53-08:00
Duration: 1 min 44 s
Channel: Laszlo Zalavari
Description: A typical meteor that hits the earth's upper atmosphere has a mass of only 2.5 g, about the same as a penny, but it is moving at an impressive 40 km / s . As the meteor slows, the resulting thermal energy makes a glowing streak across the sky, a shooting star. The small mass packs a surprising punch. At what speed would a 900 kg compact car need to move to have the same kinetic energy?

   A typical meteor that hits the earth's upper atmosphere has a mass of only 2.5 g, about the same as a penny, but it is moving at an impressive 40 $\mathrm{km} / \mathrm{s} .$ As the meteor slows, the resulting thermal energy makes a glowing streak across the sky, a shooting star. The small mass packs a surprising punch. At what speed would a $900 \mathrm{kg}$ compact car need to move to have the same kinetic energy?

College Physics: A Strategic Approach

Randall D. Knight,… 4th Edition

Chapter 10, Problem 18

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Laszlo Zalavari

11/21/2020

Step 1

The mass of the meteor is given as 2.5 g, which is equal to 0.0025 kg. The velocity of the meteor is given as 40 km/s, which is equal to 40000 m/s. Show more…

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A typical meteor that hits the earth's upper atmosphere has a mass of only 2.5 g, about the same as a penny, but it is moving at an impressive 40 $\mathrm{km} / \mathrm{s} .$ As the meteor slows, the resulting thermal energy makes a glowing streak across the sky, a shooting star. The small mass packs a surprising punch. At what speed would a $900 \mathrm{kg}$ compact car need to move to have the same kinetic energy?

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Key Concepts

Kinetic Energy

Kinetic energy is the energy that an object possesses due to its motion. It is calculated using the formula KE = 1/2 * m * v^2, where m is the mass of the object and v is its velocity. This concept is fundamental in physics as it helps quantify the work done by or on an object in motion, and it plays a critical role in understanding energy transformations in phenomena such as deceleration or collisions.

Scaling of Kinetic Energy with Mass and Velocity

The relationship in the kinetic energy formula shows that kinetic energy is directly proportional to the mass of an object and to the square of its velocity. This means that even small changes in velocity can lead to significant changes in energy, especially when comparing objects of very different masses. Understanding this scaling is essential for making energy comparisons and predictions in various physical contexts.

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