Final answer:
The amount of energy required for the spaceship to accelerate from a starting speed of 0 m/s to its current speed can be found by subtracting the initial kinetic energy from the final kinetic energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amount of energy required for the spaceship to accelerate from a starting speed of 0 m/s to its current speed can be calculated by subtracting the initial kinetic energy from the final kinetic energy. The final kinetic energy of the spaceship is given as 3.1 x 10^12 J. We can determine the initial kinetic energy by using the equation
Einitial = Efinal - (change in potential energy)
From the given information in Example 13.6, we can find the change in potential energy as 3.32 x 10^10 J
Therefore, the initial kinetic energy is calculated as:
Einitial = 3.1 x 10^12 J - 3.32 x 10^10 J = 2.965 x 10^12 J.