Question

a wrecking ball is swinging towards a building that needs to be knocked down. if you wanted to make the wrecking ball hit the building with more kinetic energy, what could you change?
use a wrecking ball with a bigger mass
use a wrecking ball with a smaller mass
decrease the speed of the wrecking ball
none of the above

Explanation:

Kinetic energy (KE) is given by the formula \( KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 \), where \( m \) is mass and \( v \) is speed. To increase kinetic energy, we can increase mass or increase speed.

• Option A: Using a wrecking ball with bigger mass increases \( m \), so KE increases.
• Option B: Using a smaller mass would decrease \( m \), reducing KE.
• Option C: Decreasing speed ( \( v \)) reduces \( v^2 \), so KE decreases.
• Option D is incorrect as A is valid.

Answer:

A. Use a wrecking ball with a bigger mass