Answer
The kinetic energy of the meteoroid is $5.76\times 10^6~J$
The kinetic energy of the car is $4.63\times 10^5~J$
The kinetic energy of the meteoroid is greater than the kinetic energy of the car by a factor of 12.4
Work Step by Step
We can find the kinetic energy of the meteoroid:
$KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$
$KE = \frac{1}{2}(0.0050~kg)(48,000~m/s)^2$
$KE = 5.76\times 10^6~J$
The kinetic energy of the meteoroid is $5.76\times 10^6~J$
We can find the kinetic energy of the car:
$KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$
$KE = \frac{1}{2}(1100~kg)(29~m/s)^2$
$KE = 4.63\times 10^5~J$
The kinetic energy of the car is $4.63\times 10^5~J$
We can compare the kinetic energy of the meteoroid to the kinetic energy of the car:
$\frac{5.76\times 10^6~J}{4.63\times 10^5~J} = 12.4$
The kinetic energy of the meteoroid is greater than the kinetic energy of the car by a factor of 12.4.
