Question

How does kinetic energy affect the stopping distance of a small vehicle compared to a large vehicle?

Answer 1

The more mass the vehicle has, the more that is needed to stop the vehicle in motion.

Answer 2

Whenever a vehicle is in motion, it has got kinetic energy. Kinetic energy has a direct relationship with the stopping distance. Kinetic energy is dependent on the mass of the vehicle and also the velocity at which it is traveling. In case of a small vehicle, the mass of the vehicle will be small and so the stopping distance will also be less compared to a large vehicle. In the case of the large vehicle traveling at the same velocity as the small vehicle, the stopping distance will be greater becuse the large vehicle has a larger mass. So in case of a small vehicle the kinetic energy will be less and so the distance for stopping will be less than that of the large vehicle.