About 50,000 years ago, a meteor crashed into the earth near present-day Flagstaff, Arizona. Measurements from 2005 estimate that this meteor had a mass of about 1.4×108kg (around 150,000 tons) and hit the ground at a speed of 12 km/s. (a) How much kinetic energy did this meteor deliver to the ground? (b) How does this energy compare to the energy released by a 1.0-megaton nuclear bomb? (A megaton bomb releases the same amount of energy as a million tons of TNT, and 1.0 ton of TNT releases 4.184×109J of energy.)

Explanation:

The mass of meteor = 1.4 x 10⁸ kg

and its velocity = 12 x 10³ m/s

The kinetic energy = m v²

= x ( 1.4 x 10⁸ ) x ( 12 x 10³ )² = 1 x 10¹⁶ J                    I

The energy released by 1 ton of TNT = 4.184 x 10⁹ J

The energy released by 10⁶ ton of TNT = 4.184 x 10¹⁵ J         II

Comparing I and II

The energy released by meteor is more than the double of the energy released by 1.0 megaton nuclear bomb .

energy stored in the capacitor= 9.72 x 10⁻⁴ j

explanation:

the energy stored in the capacitor is given by

e= 1/2 c v²

e= energy stored

c= capacitance= 1.5 µc= 1.5 x 10⁻⁶f

v= potential difference=36 v

so energy stored= e= 1/2 (1.5 x 10⁻⁶) (36)²

energy stored= 9.72 x 10⁻⁴j