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Question
youre watching a nascar car race. two racecars are ahead of the rest, speeding around the track. they are going the exact same speed. unfortunately, another car has stopped on the track in front of them. both racecars are going to hit the stopped car!
what additional information do you need to know to figure out which racecar would hit the stopped car with the most kinetic energy?
o the type of road surface
o the mass of each racecar
o the types of engines the racecars have
o the speed of each racecar
The formula for kinetic energy is $KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$, where $m$ is mass and $v$ is speed. The problem states the two racecars have the same speed. To determine which has more kinetic energy, we need the mass of each racecar since speed is already equal. The type of road surface, engine type, and speed (already given as same) don't affect the comparison here.
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B. the mass of each racecar