Two cars are driving at the same velocity, but one has twice the mass of the other. Is the mechanical kinetic energy of the larger car two times, three times, or four times that of the smaller car

The kinetic energy of the larger car is two times that of the smaller car

Explanation:

Kinetic Energy

Is the energy an object has due to its state of motion. It's proportional to the square of the speed.

The equation for the kinetic energy is:

Where:

m = mass of the object

v = speed at which the object moves

The kinetic energy is expressed in Joules (J)

It's required to compare the kinetic energy of two cars K1 and K2. Car 2 has twice the mass of car 1: m2=2m1, and they have the same speed.

The kinetic energy of car 1 is:

The kinetic energy of car 2 is:

Substituting the relation of the masses:

Rearranging:

Substituting the kinetic energy of car 1:

The kinetic energy of the larger car is two times that of the smaller car