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When the speed of a moving object is halved:

a) Its kinetic energy is halved
b) Its potential energy is halved
c) Its rest energy is halved
d) Its momentum is halved

User Ldgabbay
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

When the speed of a moving object is halved, its kinetic energy is reduced to one-fourth of its original value, while its momentum is halved.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the speed of a moving object is halved, its kinetic energy is affected, not just cut in half. Kinetic energy (KE) is given by the formula ½mv2, where m is the mass of the object and v is its velocity. If the velocity is halved, the kinetic energy becomes ½m(½v)2 = ½mv2/4 = KE/4. So, when the velocity is halved, the kinetic energy is reduced to one-fourth of its original value, not halved.

Momentum (p), on the other hand, is given by the formula p = mv. If the velocity is halved, the momentum becomes mv/2, which is indeed halved. Therefore, the correct answer is that when the speed of a moving object is halved, its momentum is halved, not its kinetic energy.

User Soojoo
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