Understanding Kinetic Energy Loss in a Shark-Tuna Collision
Understanding Kinetic Energy in the Shark-Tuna Collision:
When a shark (mass of 230 kg) swimming to the right with a speed of 9m/s encounters a tuna (mass of 60 kg) swimming towards it with a speed of 4m/s, a collision occurs. The shark swallows the tuna, leading to a change in the kinetic energy of the system.
The concept of kinetic energy, which is the energy possessed by an object due to its motion, is crucial in analyzing this collision scenario. Kinetic energy is calculated using the formula KE = (1/2) * mass * velocity^2. In this case, we calculate the initial kinetic energy of both the shark and the tuna separately before determining the total kinetic energy lost in the collision.
The initial kinetic energy of the shark is calculated by substituting the mass and velocity values into the kinetic energy formula. Similarly, the initial kinetic energy of the tuna is calculated using its mass and velocity. By summing up the initial kinetic energies of the shark and the tuna, we obtain the total initial kinetic energy of the system.
After the collision, the final kinetic energy of the combined system, comprising the shark and the swallowed tuna, is determined based on the conservation of momentum principle. Since the shark maintains its velocity after swallowing the tuna, the final kinetic energy is calculated with the combined mass of both the shark and the tuna.
By subtracting the final kinetic energy from the initial kinetic energy, we find that the total kinetic energy lost in the collision is 2085 J. This negative value indicates that kinetic energy was transformed into other forms of energy, highlighting the significance of energy conservation in dynamic systems.
In summary, understanding the dynamics of kinetic energy in collisions between objects of different masses and velocities provides insights into the energy transformations that occur during such interactions, as seen in the case of the shark-tuna collision.