A top fuel dragster with a mass of 500.0 kg starts from rest and completes a quarter mile (402 m) race in a time of 5.0 s. The dragster's final speed is 130 m/s. Neglecting friction, what average power was needed to produce this final speed?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average power can be calculated using the formula: Power = Work/Time. The work done is equal to the change in kinetic energy, which is (1/2)mv^2. Substituting the given values: (1/2)(500 kg)(130 m/s)^2 = 4,225,000 J. Dividing by the time (5 s), the power is 845,000 W, which is approximately 1100 hp (1 hp = 746 W).

A Top Fuel Dragster with a Mass of 500