Answer
Particle 1 has the largest kinetic energy, followed by 2, and then 5.
1, 2, 6
Work Step by Step
We are asked to rank the three lowest-mass particles according to kinetic energy, greatest first. Based on the triangle of Fig 37-14, we know that the length of the horizontal component of each triangle is related to it's mass. As already explained in part 9a, we know the lowest-mass particles are 1, 2, and 5.
In part 9b, we ranked the particles in order of momentum based on the length of the vertical component of each triangle. Equation (37-53) directly relates Kinetic energy to momentum. So the higher momentum, the higher the kinetic energy, Now we can rank them according to the length of their vertical components, greatest first.
Particle 1 has the largest kinetic energy, followed by 2, and then 5.
