Question

If its rest energy could be converted entirely to usable forms of energy, what equivalent mass would release the same amount of energy as burning the 41 kg of gasoline? Option 1: 1 kg Option 2: 2 kg Option 3: 3 kg Option 4: 4 kg

Answer 1

The equivalent mass that would release the same amount of energy as burning 41 kg of gasoline is approximately 2.42 kg.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the equivalent mass that would release the same amount of energy as burning 41 kg of gasoline, we can use Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle, which states that mass and energy are interchangeable. The formula E = mc^2 relates energy (E) to mass (m) and the speed of light (c). Since we know the energy released by burning gasoline, we can rearrange the formula to solve for the equivalent mass. The mass (m) would be equal to the energy (E) divided by the square of the speed of light (c^2).

First, we need to convert the mass of gasoline to energy. The energy released by burning gasoline can vary, but as an approximation, we can use an average value of 46.4 megajoules per kilogram (MJ/kg).

Using the formula E = mc^2, we can calculate the equivalent mass:

E = mc^2

m = E / c^2

m = (41 kg * 46.4 MJ/kg) / (299,792,458 m/s)^2

m ≈ 2.42 kg

Therefore, the equivalent mass that would release the same amount of energy as burning 41 kg of gasoline is approximately 2.42 kg.

Learn more about Mass-energy equivalence