Final answer:
The van, which has twice the mass of the car, will have twice the kinetic energy when both are traveling at the same speed since kinetic energy is directly proportional to mass.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing the kinetic energy of the van and the car, we can use the formula for kinetic energy, KE = 1/2 m v2, where m is the mass and v is the velocity. Given that both the van and the car have the same velocity, we can isolate the effect of the mass on the kinetic energy.
For the van with a mass of 3000 kg, its kinetic energy would be KE = 1/2 (3000 kg) v2. For the car with a mass of 1500 kg, its kinetic energy would be KE = 1/2 (1500 kg) v2.
Since the velocity term is squared and the same for both, we can see that the kinetic energy is directly proportional to the mass of the object. Therefore, if we double the mass, we double the kinetic energy. By this logic, the 3000 kg van, which has twice the mass of the 1500 kg car, would also have twice the kinetic energy. Thus, the correct answer is: (a) The van has twice the kinetic energy of the car when traveling at the same speed.