Final answer:
To determine the kinetic energy released in the collision, we first calculate the initial kinetic energy of the comet fragment and subtract the final kinetic energy after the collision.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the given scenario, a comet fragment with a mass of 1.96 × 10¹³ kg is moving at a velocity of 6.50 × 10⁴ m/s. When it crashes into Callisto, a moon of Jupiter, the collision is completely inelastic. To determine how much kinetic energy was released in the collision, we can calculate the initial kinetic energy of the comet fragment and then subtract the final kinetic energy after the collision.
The initial kinetic energy is given by:
KEi = (1/2)mvi2
Substituting the values:
KEi = (1/2)(1.96 × 10¹³ kg)(6.50 × 10⁴ m/s)2
Solving this equation gives us the initial kinetic energy.