Answer:
A) They have the same kinetic energies, but different momenta.
Explanation:
Before answering, let's remind that:
- Kinetic energy is a scalar quantity, which is given by:
[tex]K=\frac{1}{2}mv^2[/tex]
where m is the mass of the object and v is the speed.
- Momentum is a vector quantity, whose magnitude is given by:
[tex]p=mv[/tex]
where m is the mass of the object and v is the velocity, and whose direction is the same as the velocity.
By looking at the two definitions, we can say that:
- the two cars have same kinetic energy, because they have same mass and same speed
- The two cars have different momenta, because they do not have same velocity (in fact, their directions are different, since one is heading east and the other one is heading north)
