howru
8th December 2005 - 01:15 AM
Two railroad cars, each of mass 6400 kg and traveling 96 km/h, collide head-on and come to rest. How much thermal energy is produced in this collision?
2) A 18 kg child descends a slide 2.50 m high and reaches the bottom with a speed of 1.86 m/s. How much thermal energy due to friction was generated in this process?
Moseley
8th December 2005 - 08:34 PM
Hi again, you are keeping us busy.
In this case we are looking to evaluate how much kinetic energy has been lost (and by implication turned into heat). 1/2*mv^2 is the KE of each and 96km/h is less metres/second.
Second part you may need to work out the speed the child would be going if frictionless system and then see what proportion 1.86m/s is of that.
Good luck.