Question

It is 5.5 km from your home to the physics lab. As part of your physical fitness program, you could run that distance at 10 km/h (which uses up energy at the rate of 700 W), or you could walk it leisurely at 3.0 km/h (which uses energy at 290 W).
Part A. Which choice would burn up more energy?
Part B. How much energy (in joules) would it burn?
Part C. Why is it that the more intense exercise actually burns up less energy than the less intense one?

Answer 1

Explanation:

Displacement = 5 km

A.

Converting km/h to m/s,

10 km/h * 1000 m/1 km * 1 h/3600 s

= 25/9 m/s

Remember,

700 watt = 700 J/s

Velocity = displacement/time

Time = 5000/(25/9)

= 1800 s

Energy = power * time

= 700 * 1800

= 1,260,000

= 1260 kJ

B.

Converting km/h to m/s,

3 km/h * 1000 m/1 km * 1 h/3600 s

= 5/6 m/s

290 watt = 290 J/s

Velocity = displacement/time

Time = 5000/(5/6)

= 6000 s

Energy = power * time

= 290 * 6000

= 1,740,000

= 1740 kJ

C.

Walking burns more energy; 1,740,000 joules. It burns more because you walk for a greater period of time.