Final answer:
The kinetic energy of an 80-kg skater moving at a constant speed of 6.0 m/s is calculated using the formula KE = 1/2 m v^2. The result is 1440 Joules, which shows the skater's kinetic energy based on their mass and velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked to calculate the kinetic energy of an 80-kg skater moving across ice at a constant speed of 6.0 m/s. The formula used to calculate kinetic energy (KE) is KE = 1/2 m v2, where 'm' represents the mass of the object and 'v' represents its velocity. Using the provided values, the kinetic energy of the skater is calculated as follows:
KE = 1/2 × 80 kg × (6.0 m/s)2 = 1/2 × 80 × 36 = 1440 Joules.
Therefore, the kinetic energy of the skater is 1440 Joules.
This demonstrates how mass and velocity contribute to an object's kinetic energy where the velocity has a squared relationship, indicating if the skater's speed doubled, his kinetic energy would quadruple.