Motion (kinetic) energy, and how mass and speed change it
Grade 8 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.
Ari's cart has 20 J of motion energy at 2 m/s. Its speed rises to 6 m/s. What is its motion energy now?
Bo's scooter has 10 J of motion energy at 1 m/s. Then it speeds up to 4 m/s. What is its motion energy now?
A ball has 30 J of motion energy at 2 m/s. Esme rolls it again at 4 m/s. What is its motion energy now?
In the lab, Kira watches a heavy cart bump a light one. What do the bars show?
- The light cart got less since it is lighter
- The light cart made 14 J of new energy
- Energy moved to the light cart, and 2 J to heat and sound
- 2 J was destroyed in the bump
Luz rubs both hands together fast, and they feel warm. What happened to the motion energy?
- It stayed as motion energy
- It was used up by the rubbing
- Bigger hands lose it faster
- It turned into thermal energy
Milo says riding twice as fast doubles a bike's motion energy. Agree or disagree?
- Agree: energy and speed match
- Disagree: it becomes four times as much
- Agree: double the speed gives double the energy
- Disagree: speed doesn't change it
Noah says a 2 kg cart at 3 m/s and a 3 kg cart at 2 m/s have equal motion energy. Agree or disagree?
- Agree: 2 × 3 equals 3 × 2
- Agree: speed and mass count the same
- Disagree: the faster cart has more
- Disagree: the heavier cart has more
Pia says a twice-as-heavy wagon at the same speed has four times the motion energy. Agree or disagree?
- Disagree: mass doesn't matter
- Disagree: it has twice as much
- Agree: heavier means four times
- Agree: mass is squared too
To cut a cart's motion energy the most, should Ren halve its speed or halve its mass?
- Neither changes the energy
- Halve the mass: mass counts more
- Halve the speed: energy drops to a quarter
- Either: both give half
Zee unloads a cart from 60 kg to 40 kg, at the same speed. How does its motion energy change?
- It doubles
- It does not change at the same speed
- It drops by more, since mass is squared
- It drops by a third