Final answer:
The kinetic energy of a moving object that has its mass tripled will become nine times the original kinetic energy, due to the fact that kinetic energy is proportional to the square of the mass.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the mass of a moving object is tripled, the kinetic energy will be nine times the original kinetic energy. The kinetic energy (KE) of an object is given by the formula KE = 1/2 mv2, where m is the mass and v is the velocity. If you triple the mass to become 3m, the new kinetic energy becomes KE = 1/2 (3m)v2 = 3(1/2 mv2), which is three times the original kinetic energy. Thus, when you calculate this new value, it ends up being nine times the initial kinetic energy because the mass term is squared in the kinetic energy expression.