Q1. A golf ball has a mass of 60 g and is struck by the golfer's number 1 wood (driver), leaving the tee at a speed of approximately 32 m/s (just over 70 miles an hour). Calculate the kinetic energy of the ball.


Q2. A skydiver with a mass of 105 kg leaps from an aeroplane at a height of 1500 m. At a certain point during the fall (s)he is travelling at 45 m/s. Calculate the kinetic energy of the skydiver at this point.


You will not always be given the necessary figures to perform the energy calculation. What you might be given is a value for the kinetic energy and you you will then probably be asked to work out the mass or the velocity of the object. This requires you to have a knowledge of transforming equations or how to construct and use an equation triangle.


Here is an example of such a question:


Q3. A motorcycle has a mass of 190 kg including the rider and is travelling at a certain speed. At this certain speed the combined motorcycle and rider has a kinetic energy of 25,000 J. From this information calculate the speed of the motorcycle in metres per second and state to one decimal place.


Q4. A bullet leaves the muzzle of a rifle at a velocity of 1500 m/s. It has a Kinetic Energy of 16875 J. What is the mass of the bullet in grams?


Q5. A van with a mass of 2450 kg is travelling at a constant velocity and has a kinetic energy of 1,960,000 J. At what velocity is the van travelling?


Q6a. A certain make of motorcycle has a kerbside mass of 197Kg. Disregarding the mass of the rider, the motorcycle is travelling with a velocity of 26.8 m/s (approximately 60 mph). Given this information, calculate the energy, in Joules in the vehicle's Kinetic Energy store.


Q6b. A certain make of large saloon car with a kerbside mass of 1696 kg is travelling along the road, possessing exactly the same amount of Kinetic Energy in its Kinetic Energy store, as the motorcycle. Calculate the velocity/speed of the saloon car.


Q7a. The car in question 6, now catches up with the motorcycle which means that they are both travelling with a velocity of 26.8 m/s (60 mph). What is the new Kinetic Energy of the car?


Q7b. The motorcycle pulls up into a lay-by at the side of the road. What is the Gravitational Potential Energy of the motorcycle at this point?


Q8. The driver of the saloon car in question 6, together with the vehicle have a combined mass of 1816 kg. The vehicle is travelling along at 13.4 m/s (which is approximately 30 mph) with a Kinetic Energy of 163,040.48 J. The driver stops, collects a passenger and then pulls away, returning to 13.4 m/s, but the vehicle now has a Kinetic Energy of 167,888.6 J. Taking the acceleration due to gravity to be 9.8 Newtons per kilogram, calculate the weight of the passenger in Newtons.


Q9. A motorcar, with a mass of 725 kg is travelling at 35.5 m/s. Calculate its kinetic energy.


Q10. A bullet with a mass of 14 g leaves the muzzle of a rifle at a velocity of 552 m/s. Calculate its kinetic energy as it leaves the gun.


Q11. An Airbus A380 holiday jet flying to the USA is travelling at 250m/s with a total Kinetic Energy of 18,750,000,000J (18,750 MJ). Calculate the mass of the jet (including all passengers and cargo).



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