Final answer:
Continents do not have kinetic energy in a measurable physics sense. Instead, examples of kinetic energy calculations are provided, such as for an 80-kg athlete running at 10 m/s, where the kinetic energy is calculated as 4000 J using the formula KE = ½mv².
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relating to the kinetic energy of a continent is likely a metaphor for considering the kinetic energy of large, massive objects or systems. However, typically, continents do not have kinetic energy in the traditional sense, as they are not moving in a way that would be measured as kinetic energy in physics. Instead, a better-conceptualized example might include an 80-kg athlete running at 10 m/s, which can be solved using the kinetic energy formula (KE = ½mv²). Other relevant examples from your material involve collisions of meteors, energy comparisons between vehicles and orbiting astronauts, and energy transformations in different scenarios, which all require understanding kinetic energy calculations.
For example, to calculate the kinetic energy of the 80 kg athlete running at 10 m/s, we would use the kinetic energy formula:
KE = ½ * m * v²
KE = ½ * 80kg * (10 m/s)²
KE = 4000 J
This example can be extrapolated to understand the immense energy involved in events like the asteroid impact that formed the Chicxulub crater, or when comparing the kinetic energy of large objects like trucks and aircraft carriers.