Question

people playing a basketball game in a gymnasium make up a closed system with 17,125 j of energy. at the beginning of the game the system has 16,250 j of me, and at the end it has 1,135 j of me. how much of the total energy was transformed into thermal energy during the game?

a. 875 j
b. 15,115 j
c. 2,010 j
d. 15,990 j

Explanation:

Step1: Determine initial and final mechanical energy difference

The initial mechanical energy ($ME_{i}$) is 16250 J and the final mechanical energy ($ME_{f}$) is 1135 J. The change in mechanical energy $\Delta ME=ME_{i}-ME_{f}$.
$\Delta ME = 16250 - 1135=15115$ J

Step2: Recall energy - conservation in a closed system

In a closed system, the total energy is conserved. The energy transformed into thermal energy ($E_{thermal}$) is equal to the change in mechanical energy.
$E_{thermal}=\Delta ME$

Answer:

B. 15,115 J