Answer:
The new kinetic energy would be 16 times greater than before.
Explanation:
Kinetic energy is found using this formula:
- KE = 1/2mv²
- where KE = kinetic energy (J), m = mass (kg), and v = velocity (m/s)
We can see that kinetic energy is directly proportional to the square of the velocity, meaning that if the speed was increased by 4 times, then the kinetic energy would get increased by a factor of 16.
The velocity just before the ball hits the ground can be found by the equation:
Let's substitute h = 10 m and h = 40 m into this formula.
We can see that the velocity increases by a factor of 4 (10 m → 40 m).
Therefore, this means that the kinetic energy would also be increased by a factor of (4)² = 16. Thus, the answer is D) The new kinetic energy would be 16 times greater than before.