Final answer:
The mass of the roller coaster, determined through the kinetic energy equation with a kinetic energy of 600,000 J and a speed of 20 m/s, is found to be 1,500 kg. This mass value signifies the amount of matter in the roller coaster contributing to its kinetic energy at the given velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the mass of the roller coaster, we can use the equation for kinetic energy: KE = 1/2 * m * v^2, where KE is the kinetic energy, m is the mass, and v is the velocity. Given that the roller coaster has a kinetic energy of 600,000J and a speed of 20 m/s, we can rearrange the equation to solve for the mass: m = 2 * KE / v^2. Plugging in the values, we have m = 2 * 600,000J / (20 m/s)^2. Calculating this, we get m = 1,500 kg. Therefore, the mass of the roller coaster is 1,500 kg.