Question:hard

An experimental train uses 1 g of nuclear material to run. 90% of the produced energy is wasted to overcome the frictional force between the wheels and the track. If the weight of each coach is 18 ton (18000 kg) and it runs at a speed of 100 m s$^{-1}$, the number of coaches the engine can drag at a time is:

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When only a fraction of energy is useful, divide total useful energy by energy per unit to find maximum number of units moved.
Updated On: Jul 18, 2026
  • 100
  • 1000
  • 10000
  • 100000
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Set up one combined formula before putting in any numbers.
Let $m_f$ be the mass of nuclear fuel, $c$ the speed of light, $M$ the mass of one coach and $v$ its speed. Only 10 percent of the fuel's energy is usable since 90 percent is wasted as friction, so the number of coaches $n$ that can be dragged satisfies \[ n \times \frac{1}{2}Mv^2 = 0.1\, m_f c^2 \] Solving for $n$ in one step: \[ n = \frac{0.2\, m_f c^2}{M v^2} \] Writing it this way means we substitute numbers only once, at the end, instead of computing two separate energies and then dividing.
Step 2: List the known values.
\[ m_f = 1 \ \text{g} = 10^{-3} \ \text{kg}, \quad c = 3\times10^{8} \ \text{m/s}, \quad M = 18000 \ \text{kg}, \quad v = 100 \ \text{m/s} \]
Step 3: Substitute into the single formula.
\[ n = \frac{0.2 \times 10^{-3} \times (3\times10^{8})^2}{18000 \times (100)^2} = \frac{0.2 \times 10^{-3} \times 9\times10^{16}}{18000 \times 10^{4}} \]
Step 4: Simplify numerator and denominator separately.
Numerator: $0.2 \times 9 = 1.8$, so the numerator is $1.8\times10^{13}$. Denominator: $18000 \times 10^4 = 1.8\times10^{8}$. \[ n = \frac{1.8\times10^{13}}{1.8\times10^{8}} = 10^{5} \]
Step 5: Why this shortcut works as a check.
Because both the fuel-energy term and the coach-energy term share the same factor of $1.8$, that factor cancels cleanly, which is a useful check that the substitution was done correctly.
Final Answer:
\[ \boxed{100000 \ \text{coaches}} \]
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