Kinetic Energy speed and a car

[fizz123]

One car has twice the mass of a second car, but only half as much kinetic energy. When both cars increase their speed by 8.5 m/s, they then have the same kinetic energy. What were the original speeds of the two cars?

first i set it up like this:
.5 * m * v1^2 = .5 * (.5 * 2m * v2^2)

then i get:
v1 = v2

then
.5 * m * (v1 + 8.5)^2 = .5 * 2m * (v2 + 8.5)^2
.5 * (v1 + 8.5)^2 = (v2 + 8.5)^2

but its not right...

 

[arildno]

Set up your conditions properly!
1) "One car has twice the mass of a second car" m_{1}=2m_{2}
2) "but only half as much kinetic energy" K_{1}=\frac{K_{2}}{2}
3)"When both cars increase their speed by 8.5 m/s, they then have the same kinetic energy":
\frac{m_{1}}{2}(v_{1}+8.5)^{2}=\frac{m_{2}}{2}(v_{2}+8.5)^{2}, K_{1}=\frac{m_{1}}{2}v_{1}^{2},K_{2}=\frac{m_{2}}{2}v_{2}^{2}

To help you along, we have:
K_{1}=\frac{2m_{2}}{2}v_{1}^{2}=\frac{m_{2}}{4}v_{2}^{2}=\frac{K_{2}}{2}

Thus, we have: {v}_{1}=\frac{v_{2}}{2}

 

[fizz123]

thank you, i got it now

 

[tigerwoods99]

Howcome both masses are over 2?