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Compare the work required to stop a 100-kg crate sliding at 1.0 m/s and an 8.0-g bullet traveling at 500 m/s.

a) Same work for both
b) More work for the crate
c) More work for the bullet
d) Cannot be determined without additional information

User Nuker
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1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The work required to stop the bullet is greater than the work required to stop the crate due to its much higher velocity, despite its much smaller mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question requires comparing the work needed to stop two moving objects: a 100-kg crate sliding at 1.0 m/s and an 8.0-g bullet traveling at 500 m/s. To calculate the work required to stop each object, we can use the work-energy principle, which states that the work done on an object is equal to the change in its kinetic energy (Work = ΔKE). Kinetic energy (KE) is given by the formula KE = 1/2 × mass × velocity2.

For the crate, KE = 1/2 × (100 kg) × (1.0 m/s)2 = 50 Joules.

For the bullet, we must convert the mass from grams to kilograms by dividing by 1000. KE = 1/2 × (0.008 kg) × (500 m/s)2 = 1000 Joules.

Comparing the two values, it's clear that the work required to stop the bullet is much greater than the work required to stop the crate. Therefore, the correct answer is (c) More work for the bullet.

User Agyei
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