A 905-g meteor impacts the earth at a speed of 1629 m/s. If all of its energy is entirely converted to heat in the meteor, what will be the resulting temperature rise of the meteor, assuming it does not melt? The specific heat for the meteor material is 472 J/kg∙K, which is about the same as that of iron.
A) 2810°C
B) 2,540,000°C
C) 3.10°C
D) 11,700°C

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The kinetic energy of the meteor is converted to heat: KE = 0.5 * m * v^2 = 0.5 * 0.905 kg * (1629 m/s)^2. The temperature rise is ΔT = KE / (m * c) = (0.5 * 0.905 * 1629^2) / (0.905 * 472), which calculates to approximately 2810°C.

A 905-G Meteor Impacts the Earth at a Speed of 1629