Question

Calculate the kinetic energy of a 5,000 kg meteoroid traveling at 11.2 km s-1. If it were to impact the surface of Earth at this velocity, what would be the equivalent strength of the explosion using the units of Tons of TNT? (1 Ton of TNT is 4.18 billion joules).

Answer 1

The kinetic energy of the meteoroid is 313,600,000 J. The equivalent strength of the explosion would be 0.075 Tons of TNT.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the kinetic energy of a meteoroid, we use the equation:

KE = 0.5 * mass * velocity^2

Given that the mass of the meteoroid is 5,000 kg and its velocity is 11.2 km s-1, we can calculate:

KE = 0.5 * 5000 * (11.2)^2 = 313,600,000 J

To find the equivalent strength of the explosion in Tons of TNT, we divide the kinetic energy by the energy of 1 Ton of TNT:

Equivalent Strength = 313,600,000 J / (4.18 billion J per Ton of TNT) = 0.075 Tons of TNT