Kinetic Energy Flashcards - SAT Subject Test in Physics

Linear momentum is calculated as the product of mass and velocity:

We are given the mass of the cart and its momentum, allowing us to solve for its velocity.

$20\frac{kg\cdot m}{s}=(4kg)v$

$v=\frac{20\frac{kg\cdot m}{s}}{4kg}=5\frac{m}{s}$

Now that we know the velocity of the cart, we need to use the equation for kinetic energy:

$KE=\frac{1}{2}mv^2$

Use the value of the velocity and the given mass of the cart to solve.

$KE=\frac{1}{2}(4kg)(5\frac{m}{s})^2$

Kinetic Energy - SAT Subject Test in Physics